A mum was heard wailing about "the baby" moments before a man ran into a burning flat block.
Emergency services were called to Wellington Grove in Wavertree shortly before midnight on Friday, March 31, following reports of a blaze at a flat. Once Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene they found flames pouring out of a top-floor flat and thick black smoke filling the area.
Three fire engines followed by at least nine police cars also arrived at the scene as a cordon was put in place on the road, along with a small section of Picton Road. A fire investigator was seen taking pictures inside the cordon, with police detectives also in attendance.
Footage of the immediate aftermath of the flat fire was sent to The ECHO showing flames pouring out of the top flat window, which had already shattered and poured glass onto the ground below. A number of fire alarms can be heard ringing and a woman wailing speaking about how there was a fire and talking about "the baby".
Just seconds later a man is seen running into the entrance of the flat directly underneath the flames. Within the first two minutes of the video the flames have significantly increased and start reaching the top of the home.
One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said he "couldn't believe" how quickly the flat burst into flames.
He said: "My missus has gone 'aye something is on fire' and there was just like a load of smoke. So the first thing I did was run and looked to see and then called the fire ambulance and police and got them all here.
"I jumped over the back gate and there was one lad who jumped out the window and then another one turned around, hung and dropped out of the window from the ledge. Someone came running out with a paramedic bag and started looking after them."
The man then tried to wake up as many people as he could to let them know the block of flats was on fire.
He said: "I've just gone bang, bang, bang, bang, bang on the doors shouting 'f*****g get out, get out'. It was horrible, I'm shaking still.
"The way it went up [the flat] it was too fast, I couldn't believe it."
Another witness, who lives on Wellington Grove said: "It happened just before 11.45pm and we heard this explosion. It was like this massive rumble and we thought it was the meteor that was supposed to be going over tonight.
“The emergency services came really quickly and we were told to get out of the home. They said we might be able to come back in tonight but we just don’t know.
""A woman and her baby live in the flat below and they can't go back in."
Images from the scene show first floor windows shattered and smoke damage to the outside walls. Everyone in the building at the time of the fire was accounted for.
A police cordon remains in place surrounding the flat this morning (Saturday, April 1) with forensic officers in attendance.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue, said: "On arrival crews were met with a first floor flat well alight. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus (BA) entered the property with two hose reel jets to fight the blaze while additional fire service personnel gathered information regarding other occupants and searched the property.
"North West Ambulance Service are on scene and one casualty has been assessed and conveyed to hospital for further treatment.
"Crews continued to dampen down inside the property and the fire has now been extinguished. Firefighters in BA are hotspotting. All persons have been accounted for and utilities to the flat affected have now been isolated."
Merseyside Police confirmed they were in attendance at the but have not yet released a statement.
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