A hero taxi driver who ran into a burning café to save a woman and her dog says he can’t believe he is still alive. Amir Hamadamin, from Newport, was driving back home after dropping off a passenger in Bath when he spotted the burning Tollgate tea rooms on the A46 in Dyrham in the early hours of Sunday, March 27.
“It was 2am and I saw in the corner of my eye that the flames had reached the roof,” the father-of-two told WalesOnline. “I had driven past but I thought there was no way that the flames were a fire in the garden at that time. I reversed and started beeping and beeping my horn, but I got nothing - I thought if anyone was in there that they were dead.”
Amir, who has worked for Dragon Taxis in Newport for seven years, says he quickly rang the fire service before attempting to break into the front of the building when he heard a dog barking from upstairs. He says when he went to the back of the building he “somehow found the strength” to break through a gate and make his way through a glass door, before smoke raced out of the building and covered him.
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“I thought if I went in there there was a good chance my kids would be growing up without their dad to be honest,” brave Amir recalled. “I really thought I could die, because I knew anything could have been in there like a gas leak. But I decided to ignore my thoughts. I told myself: ‘There could be life inside this burning building and I have no choice but to try to do something. I’m the only one here.’
“When I got in there I still thought there were dead people in there. But I could still hear the barking. I ran in kicking and screaming. I then saw a woman on the stairs. I grabbed her as quickly as I could and got her back out. I honestly don’t know what I was doing or how I did it. I’m not a really fit man, I’m still aching now from trying to break in.”
It was then, a few minutes after Amir had made the call, that firefighters from Avon and Somerset Fire and Rescue arrived. “The firefighters thanked me and said there was a good chance I’d saved her,” Amir said.
“I told the firefighters the dog was still in the building but that it had stopped barking and I thought it was gone. I was amazed though that the dog had survived too. I couldn’t believe it. It took them about an hour and a half to extinguish the flames.
“I took my jacket off and gave it to the lady, wrapping it around her and cuddling her with it because she was shaking with the cold and worrying about her dog.” Why not sign up to our Newport newsletter which you can find here?
It took six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, one turntable ladder and multiple jets to bring the fire under control and save the popular tearoom from burning down. The woman involved in the fire has been treated for smoke inhalation in hospital and is now recovering, WalesOnline understands. The dog is also safe and well.
The owners of the popular Sunday lunch destination were forced to cancel all bookings for Mother's Day after the blaze but have told their loyal customers that they will be back. The team put a message on Facebook saying: "The Tollgate will be closed for the foreseeable future due to a fire in the early hours of Sunday morning. Thank you to the passing taxi driver that raised the alarm and helped evacuate Lukas’s mother, we will be in touch.
"We would like to thank the fire service who did an amazing job in saving our lovely building, not to mention Ricky the dog too. Sorry for any inconvenience caused to our guests booked in for Mother's Day. We will be back! Thank you so much for all of your kind words of support and offers of assistance."
Amir added: “I still can’t believe what happened. I went back home after a couple of hours and just got straight into the bath because I stunk of smoke. I’m just so relieved I managed to change the story.”
Avon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: "Crews from Bath, Kingswood, Temple and Yate responded to reports of a fire at 02.47 (March 27). On arrival, crews found a fire affecting a business premises as well as the attached residential property. One female had been rescued by a passing taxi driver prior to our arrival. Firefighters safely rescued one dog from the flames. The fire had originated in a kitchen area and was affecting the ground floor roof, with smoke logging to the residential floors of the property. "
"With six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, crews used three high pressure hose reels, a safety jet, covering jet and turntable ladder to extinguish the fire and make the scene safe. Crews administered a trauma pack to one casualty suffering with smoke inhalation, who was later conveyed to hospital by ambulance colleagues." They added: "Fire investigation concluded at approximately midday on Sunday March 27 and our investigators determined the cause of the fire as accidental due to an electrical fault."
