A WREXHAM shop owner helped evacuate women and children from flats engullfed in smoke from a fire. 

The Leader reported on Wednesday that there had been a building fire on King Street late on Tuesday evening. 

It involved a shop premises, and was caused by an electrical fault - which left considerable fire and smoke damage to it. 

Sarwar Mahmud owns the International Mini Market store next door to where the fire took place. 

His shop was left without power until midday on Wednesday following the incident. 

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Sarwar, aged 39, put his own safety in jeopardy to help people evacuate from flats above the row of shops. 

"There were women and children screaming," he said. 

"A woman came running shouting there was a fire. There was smoke already gathering outside all the flats. I knew I had to get them all out quick."

Sarwar helped 30 people, many of them women and children, evacuate the building. 

Sarwar, who is orginally from Iran and has been in Wrexham for six years, said: "It was so scary, especially for those living in the upstairs flats. I didn't really think about it, I just ran up as I knew they needed help.

"I'm just glad everyone got out alright and no one was hurt."

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) said it was called at 9.26pm to the incident at a commercial property on King Street.

Three crews from Wrexham attended and used two hose reel jets, a thermal imaging camera, sledgehammer and ventilation equipment to extinguish the blaze - which was out by just after 11pm.

There was 20 per cent fire damage to a store room and 80 per cent heat and smoke damage to the building.

The fire was caused by a fuse board, NWFRS said.