Granddaughter’s alertness saved granddad (95) from inferno

One of Rosemount’s and Westmeath’s oldest residents, Joe Fagan, a man well known to people in Mullingar also, having worked for decades in Mullingar Regional Hospital, had a miraculous escape from a deadly inferno on Tuesday night, 9 February, thanks to the alertness of his granddaughter, who spotted flames coming from the house next door.

Joe, who will be 95 years old next month, was in his bed when the fire broke out in the old house where he grew up and spent most of his life. Within ten minutes of being rescued by his son Gerry from the building, the main frame of the blazing house collapsed, and both men realised how lucky they were.