A fire broke out in a barn at Sarah Reid’s property in Orkney, threatening her home and stables. Reid bravely battled thick smoke to rescue her horses, with help from 16-year-old Mark Croy, managing to lead all but one horse to safety initially. Using a wet towel to protect herself and her car’s headlights to navigate, she eventually saved the last horse. Firefighters from Kirkwall and Stromness extinguished the blaze, found Reid’s deaf Jack Russell terrier Brodie inside the house, and protected the home from further damage.

Reid was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and has since moved temporarily with her family due to smoke damage. She described the experience as “pretty scary” and praised the firefighters’ professionalism. Kirkwall Fire Station encouraged local residents to seek fire safety advice and arrange home fire safety visits to prevent similar incidents.