JURORS have seen dramatic images of the high-rise blaze that killed two Hampshire firemen suddenly escalating more than half an hour after it started.

CCTV footage from the street outside Shirley Towers in Southampton showed flames inside Flat 72 develop rapidly after two teams of firefighters had entered the home.

The images were used by investigators to help piece together what happened on the night of April 6, 2010, when St Mary’s crew members Alan Bannon and Jim Shears died after being overcome by “excessive heat”

on the upper levels of the flats.

Independent investigator Richard Hunt, from the London Fire Brigade, said the footage showed the lounge window being destroyed at 8.41pm as the fire spread, and gave evidence of firefighting inside the flat as steam escaped from the flat.

Southampton Coroner’s Court has heard fire teams repeatedly used pulsing bursts of water to contain the blaze, fearing more water would create scalding-hot steam that could endanger colleagues above them in the apartment.

As reported, Mr Hunt previously said he believed the fire could have been extinguished “within five minutes”

using a direct jet, and that he believed most of the steam created would have escaped from the broken window.

But under questioning from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service barrister Mark Balysz, he said he had no criticism of the way the fire was fought before 9pm, when Mr Bannon’s air ran out.

He said he believed firefighters were “valiantly”

doing their best and following nationally recognised training techniques and although he believed there were valid concerns about steam creation, the flames could have been attacked directly.

Mr Hunt said: “A decision needs to be made – do you allow this fire to burn, or do you extinguish it? There must become a position where it’s more advantageous to put out that fire and create steam at 100C.

“There comes a position where you need to tackle the fire and not control the fire through pulse spraying.”

The inquest into the deaths of Mr Bannon, 38, from Bitterne, Southampton, and Mr Shears, 35, from Poole, was not due to sit today, but evidence will resume tomorrow.

Proceeding