MARTIN HALFPENNY
Press Association Mediapoint

Two firefighters killed battling a blaze in a block of flats died from exposure to excessive heat, post-mortem examinations revealed.

James Shears, 35, and Alan Bannon, 38, were among the first at the scene of the fire at the 1960s Shirley Towers, in Church Street, Southampton, on Tuesday.

Married father-of-two Mr Shear, from Poole in Dorset, and Mr Bannon, a married father-of-one from Southampton, were members of Red Watch, based at St Mary's Fire Station in Southampton.

Reports have said the firefighters were found unconscious by paramedics on the ninth floor of the 15-storey block and one died at the scene and one in hospital.

A joint fire service and police investigation is continuing to find out what caused the fire in flat 72 and how the experienced men died.

Fire chiefs said on Tuesday they could not yet confirm whether ``something went wrong''.

The blaze could have started when a curtain caught fire when it was left over a light bulb.

Two other firefighters suffered burns to their hands fighting the fire, which was contained to the one flat. All the residents were evacuated and none of them were injured.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Officer John Bonney, said: ``These two men risked their lives to save those of others and as a result gave their own.

``I would like to express my sincerest condolences to James and Alan's families as well as to their friends and colleagues within the Service, they will be sadly missed by us all.''

A date is yet to be set for the opening of the inquests into the deaths.

Yesterday, both families of the men paid tribute calling them ``incredible'' and ``our hero''.

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April 9, 2010