Former Mayor of Tenby, Denzil Griffiths, was recovering in Morriston Hospital yesterday (Thursday) after fire swept through his home in the early hours of the morning.

Sixty-three-year-old Mr. Griffiths was forced to jump from a first floor window at his home, Ilford, on Broadwell Hayes, after a fire started in a downstairs room at around 1.20 am.

His son, Darren, aged 34, was also forced to escape via an upstairs bedroom window as the fire and smoke spread through the house causing extensive damage.

"Dad must have heard the noise of the fire, because the first I knew about it was him screaming across the landing for me to get out of the house," Darren told the Observer yesterday (Thursday).

"I called the Fire Brigade and climbed out of my bedroom using the 'phone cable.

"Dad had already jumped to the ground from his room, but I couldn't see how clear it was below mine.

"Our next-door neighbour Les came along with a ladder just as the Fire Brigade arrived and I was able to climb down."

Darren was full of praise of the prompt response from the Fire Brigade.

"They arrived within four minutes of me raising the alarm and did a fantastic job," he said.

Two fire crews from Tenby, under the command of Station Officer Clive Webb, attended.

Four firefighters using breathing apparatus entered the building and extinguished the blaze using hose reel jets.

There was severe fire damage to the ground floor hallway and first floor landing while the rest of the building was extensively damaged by smoke and heat.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, but Fire Brigade officers confirmed that it was not suspicious.

Four times Mayor Mr. Griffiths, who retired from Tenby Town Council last year after over 30 years service, and Darren, who helps run the family caravan retail and franchise business, were the only people in the house at the time.

Mr. Griffiths's wife, Joan, is currently in hospital recovering from an operation, while son Sean is on holiday. Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths also have two daughters, Sharon and Rachel.

Mr. Griffiths was conveyed to Morriston Hospital suffering from burns to his hands and face and the effects of smoke inhalation.

As we went to press, his condition was described as 'stable' by a hospital spokesperson.