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Football team saved me from inferno death
A man escaped a fire which ripped through a Preston showroom – thanks to his beloved football team.
Inter Milan fanatic Luigi Giannoccaro, who runs Italian Sofa Specialists on Brook Street, Preston, was surfing the internet to read about his team when he heard a loud crack.
He rushed out to find flames were leaping from the neighbouring warehouse and raised the alarm.
But, he said, had he been moving his latest delivery down in his cellar he might not have heard it until it was too late.
Firefighters battled for two hours to bring the flames under control at Petticoat Lane Fireplaces which left the warehouse badly damaged.
Luigi, 53, said: "If I had not have heard the noise, I would probably not be here now.
"I am often downstairs when I am working late.
"Fortunately, I was upstairs and looking on the computer at the football results in Italy, so I heard this loud noise and ran outside.
"The warehouse which caught on fire is joined on to mine and I was thinking it was going to spread across the roof and into my place."
He called the fire brigade and four crews arrived to find flames billowing out of the roof and door of the warehouse at 6.45pm on Thursday.
Mr Giannoccaro, who has been selling imported Italian leather suites for nearly a decade, said the water used to extinguish the blaze had leaked through an adjoining wall and into his cellar.
He said: "I just had a new order of stock in, fortunately none of it was damaged by the water.
"But I am going to have to claim on my insurance for it because it is going to cost me to dry it out."
>> Fireplace showroom damaged in blaze
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Weather for Preston
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
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