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| 13 people rescued from flat fire | 13 people rescued from flat fire |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Thirteen people have been rescued after their block of flats caught fire in Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley. | Thirteen people have been rescued after their block of flats caught fire in Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley. |
| South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it appears the blaze was deliberately started at the flat's main entrance - the only way in. | South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it appears the blaze was deliberately started at the flat's main entrance - the only way in. |
| Emergency workers talked to occupiers on the phone to direct firefighters as they broke into the flats at Cefn Pennar at around 0215 BST on Wednesday. | Emergency workers talked to occupiers on the phone to direct firefighters as they broke into the flats at Cefn Pennar at around 0215 BST on Wednesday. |
| The residents were treated by ambulance staff but did not go to hospital. | The residents were treated by ambulance staff but did not go to hospital. |
| The fire has now been brought under control and South Wales Police have confirmed they are investigating it. | |
| Tudor Cousins, who was in his second floor flat with his son when the fire started, described having to flee the building wearing just shorts and a top. | |
| "My son heard a crackling noise and wasn't sure what it was," he said. | |
| I will be honest with you, it was frightening Tudor Cousins | |
| "We thought it was fighting out in the passage. What happened then he opened the door and shouted 'dad' and I went straight out and it was black with smoke but I didn't see no flames at that particular time. | |
| "Then we shut the door but the door sprung open and as it sprung open, the flames were as high as the second storey." | |
| Mr Cousins and his son went to their balcony and, along with their dog, dropped to safety. | |
| They then went to find a set of ladders to try to help others get out of the burning building before the fire service arrived five minutes later. | |
| They also helped get an old man out of his ground floor flat. | |
| Smoke-logged | |
| Mr Cousins said he believed the fire was deliberately started. | |
| "There was furniture on the bottom floor of the flat just outside the door and for some reason it just ignited, unless somebody put a match to it, I don't know," he said. | |
| "And the flames just went blazing." | |
| He added: "I will be honest with you, it was frightening." | |
| He and other residents are not able to return to the building, which is black with smoke, and have been rehoused. | |
| A police spokesman said: "Early indications appear it started was deliberately. | |
| "All persons were evacuated safely and all have been rehoused with family and friends while investigations take place to today." | "All persons were evacuated safely and all have been rehoused with family and friends while investigations take place to today." |
| A fire service spokeswoman said a large area of the ground floor has been damaged including the main stairwell and the first and second floors have been smoke-logged. | A fire service spokeswoman said a large area of the ground floor has been damaged including the main stairwell and the first and second floors have been smoke-logged. |
| Do you have any pictures of the fire? Were you one of the 13 people who had to be rescued? Tell us what your experiences were using the form below. | Do you have any pictures of the fire? Were you one of the 13 people who had to be rescued? Tell us what your experiences were using the form below. |
| Send your pictures to newsonline.wales@bbc.co.uk, text them to 61124 or you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions | Send your pictures to newsonline.wales@bbc.co.uk, text them to 61124 or you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions |
| At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |