Flames, Fear, and a Fearless Officer: The Day a Lunchtime Crowd Was Saved by One Woman's Bare Hands

Inside the terrifying fast-food restaurant inferno where PC Rhona Adams risked everything to save a life and avert a public catastrophe.

It was 13 June 2024, an ordinary summer day in a busy town in West Yorkshire. A fast-food restaurant, packed with families and the warm noise of lunchtime chatter, suddenly became the scene of something no one present will ever forget.

PC Rhona Adams, responding single-crewed to a high-risk missing person report, had no idea her actions that day would place her among the UK’s most courageous police officers. She had no backup, no specialist fire gear, and no time to prepare. But she did have the presence of mind, the will to act, and an instinct to protect.

The woman reported missing had made a chilling threat: to take her own life by setting herself alight. When Adams arrived at the scene, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. A crowded restaurant, children nearby, a public space on the brink of becoming a disaster zone.

---

---

Thanks to the quick thinking of the restaurant staff, Adams was directed to the disabled toilets, a quiet space now transformed into a horror scene. Inside, the woman had already carried out her threat. She was on fire.

Most people would freeze. Some might back away, waiting for fire crews or paramedics. PC Rhona Adams ran straight in.

Without regard for her own safety, she used her bare hands to smother the flames, putting herself between the fire and the woman in a frantic bid to stop the burning. Her hands, unprotected, were her only tool in those first seconds. Her mind, laser-focused on saving a life.

But she didn’t stop there. Recognising the scale of the danger and acting with remarkable clarity, she instructed staff to bring her a fire extinguisher.

---

Got a story, video, or something on your mind?

Our team—made up of experienced former emergency services and armed forces personnel—wants to hear from you. With 400,000 monthly views, your story could reach a wide audience.

📩 Email us: contact@emergency-services.news

📲 Seen something on X? Tag us @es_news_ or send us a DM.

---

This wasn’t an industrial estate or an isolated field. This was a public restaurant, packed with families. The risk of the fire escalating, of smoke inhalation or panic-induced stampedes, was real. PC Adams’ actions didn’t just save the woman’s life, they very likely saved others, too.

Under extreme pressure, Adams managed to radio for an ambulance and begin administering first aid. She stayed with the woman, offering both physical care and emotional reassurance. In those terrifying moments, she was a one-woman emergency response team.

The woman suffered first and second-degree burns, but thanks to Adams’ swift intervention, her injuries were not life-threatening. That outcome is directly due to the officer’s decisiveness, training, and willingness to put herself in harm’s way.

In recognising PC Adams with a nomination for the 2025 National Police Bravery Awards, her force has rightly placed her story on a national platform. And the praise she’s received is not just ceremonial.

---

---

Chief Constable John Robins QPM DL of West Yorkshire Police said:

“Rhona showed incredible bravery in taking immediate control of the situation and preventing risk to others in the building.

“Her actions were instinctive and proved to be vital in saving the life of a vulnerable female.

“I am very proud of the professionalism Rhona showed throughout the incident and am delighted to support her nomination for a Police Bravery Award.”

Moments like these remind us of something many take for granted: when emergency workers show up, they don’t get to choose what they walk into. There are no do-overs. No pause buttons. Just life or death decisions, and consequences.

And in this case, the consequence of one officer’s bravery was a life saved, a disaster averted, and a family who won’t have to mourn.

As PC Adams now stands among other nominees for the National Police Bravery Awards, her story cuts through the noise of headlines and talking points. It is raw, undeniable proof of the kind of commitment that doesn’t make the news every day, but defines frontline service.

Let’s not wait for tragedy to start valuing the people who risk everything to protect us. Stories like this are a wake-up call;a reminder that bravery doesn’t always look like what we expect. Sometimes, it walks into a fire with bare hands.

Support independent coverage that honours frontline emergency workers. Become a subscriber and help keep these stories alive and advert-free.