Woman rescued from window ledge as arson sparks emergency response in Mid Ulster

A woman was dramatically rescued from a window ledge by firefighters in the early hours of Sunday morning following a deliberate fire at a residential flat in Cookstown.

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed that it received reports of a blaze at Princess Avenue shortly before 1am on 22nd June.

The fire, which has since been determined to have been started deliberately, prompted a multi-agency emergency response involving the Fire Service, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS).

“At 12:53am this morning, NIFRS received reports of a flat on fire at Princess Avenue, Cookstown,” a spokesperson for the Fire Service said.

“Our Control Room Operators provided emergency call handling advice to a female who had sought refuge on a first-floor window ledge and dispatched crews from Cookstown, Dungannon and Magherafelt supported by two response officers.”

On arrival, firefighters swiftly rescued the woman from the ledge using a ladder, before deploying breathing apparatus teams, firefighting jets, and thermal imaging equipment to search for a missing male inside the flat and bring the blaze under control.

The operation was completed by 2:29am, with crews confirming the fire had been started deliberately.

Detectives from the PSNI have now launched an arson investigation.

In a statement, Detective Inspector Ryan said:

“Shortly after 00:50am, it was reported that accelerant was poured through the front door letterbox of a flat in the area and set alight.”

The victims, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s, were rescued by fire crews and later treated by ambulance staff for smoke inhalation at the scene before being taken to hospital for further treatment.

Another fire at an outbuilding near the property was also extinguished during the incident.

“Enquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances and at this stage, the incident is being treated as deliberate ignition,” added Detective Inspector Ryan.

Police are urging anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward. “Detectives are appealing for information and would ask anyone with any information that may be able to assist with their enquiries, to contact them on 101 quoting reference number 64 22/06/25,” said the PSNI.

Reports can also be submitted via the PSNI online reporting form, or anonymously through Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org.