Boy, 15, critically ill after Houghton-le-Spring house fire

May 19 2009 by Katy Simpson, The Journal

A TEENAGER remained critically ill in hospital last night after being severely burned in a house fire.

The 15-year-old, named locally as Connor Rowntree, suffered horrific burns in the fire on St Matthew’s Terrace, in Newbottle, Houghton-le-Spring, on Sunday.

He had been with a friend, also 15, in the upstairs bedroom of the property, when they were trapped by the blaze..

His friend jumped to safety from a second-floor window and escaped serious injury.

But paramedics found Connor in the back garden, with burns to a large part of his body.

He was taken to Newcastle General Hospital, where police last night said he was in a “critical condition”.

A neighbour, who did not wish to be named said: “I was upstairs in the bedroom when it happened. We heard the smoke alarms going off, and we thought maybe there had been a power surge.

“I looked out and saw Connor out the back. It looked like he had got no top on, but then I saw there were just a few bits of it left.