Man trapped by fire saved by Hamilton Police

A senior Hamilton Police officer is praising the initiative of two of his staff who rescued a man trapped upstairs in his flat by flames after the front of the dwelling caught fire overnight.

Shift Manager, Acting Senior Sergeant Dale Smith, said Police staff were the first to arrive at the scene on Ulster St about 1.40am this morning.

"Our staff hear a man yelling for help from the second storey of the flat, with the fire breaking out in the front of the ground floor the man had no way out from where he was in his upstairs bedroom.

"The two officers raced to the back of the building and persuaded the man to jump and they caught him, just as fire-fighters arrived."

Mr Smith said the man was taken to Waikato Hospital but discharged himself a short time later.

"The scene is currently under guard and a forensic examination will take place later today to establish if there any suspicious circumstances in relation to the fire.

"We're very happy that the matter was able to be resolved without the occupant of the flat being seriously injured or even worse."

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