**Alert Chefs Save Hotel Guests from Blaze Thanks to Insomnia-Inducing Hiccups**
A pair of quick-thinking chefs, wide awake in the early hours due to a bout of persistent hiccups, are being commended for their life-saving actions after a fire broke out at the Worms Head Hotel in Rhossili, Gower, Swansea. The dramatic events unfolded just before 1am on Monday morning, when Morgan Matthews and his colleague Joe Clayfield spotted flames engulfing part of the beloved family-run venue.
The chefs, both 27, were staying overnight at nearby accommodation, The View, where they both work. By sheer chance, Matthews was battling hiccups and struggling to sleep when he noticed an unusual glow flickering through his window. Peering outside, he saw flames taking hold in the lane separating their residence from the hotel.
Recalling the ordeal, Matthews admitted it was a moment of pure adrenaline. “I’d been up for about 20 minutes googling remedies for my hiccups,” he explained. “Then I glimpsed fire through the window. At first I thought nothing of it, but when I got closer, I realised something was badly wrong.”
Without hesitation, Matthews dashed to wake his colleague. In only their underwear, both men burst outside and took decisive action, immediately dialling 999 for the fire service. Realising hotel guests could be asleep and completely unaware of the peril, they sprang into action, rousing as many occupants as possible.
Matthews described how he frantically banged on windows and shouted warnings with growing urgency. He managed to rouse someone snoring inside, who then activated the fire alarms. Once inside the hotel, Matthews made his way along the corridors, pounding on doors and shouting “Fire, fire!”, while Clayfield stayed alert for collapsing parts of the burning building.
Despite the chaos, they ensured all 20 guests were alerted and escaped unharmed. The relief, said Matthews, was overpowering once everyone had evacuated safely. “We had families, an American woman with her daughter… We just kept counting until we were sure everyone was out,” he said. The pair’s efforts were later recognised by grateful guests, several of whom visited The View restaurant to personally thank them.
Meanwhile, local residents have been left deeply affected by the loss. The Worms Head Hotel holds a special place in the community’s collective memory, and many are still coming to terms with the significant damage left by the fire. The chefs and staff at The View responded by offering survivors emergency comfort, preparing tea and toast into the early hours for shaken guests.
Fire crews from Reynoldston, Swansea West, Port Talbot, Morriston, Swansea Central, and Gorseinon responded to the scene and employed a range of firefighting equipment to tackle the blaze. According to a statement from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the flames destroyed the majority of the accommodation block’s roof before being brought under control around 5:30am. No casualties were reported, and all guests were accounted for thanks in no small part to the chefs’ actions.
Joe Clayfield also recounted the chilling moment when he and Matthews saw gas canisters hissing near the blaze, driving home the urgency of the situation. “We saw the fence and building on fire, with gas canisters going wild. That’s when we knew we couldn’t wait and had to act,” he explained.
Both chefs have expressed humility over their roles, insisting they were only doing what anyone would in the same scenario. “You don’t expect to do something like that, but when faced with the choice, you just act,” Matthews reflected. The sense of camaraderie and relief has deeply bonded the pair, who shared that the experience has changed their outlook on life.
Authorities have confirmed that while the cause is under investigation, at this stage it is not believed to be deliberate. Investigators are working to determine what triggered the devastating event, as the community begins to recover from the night’s trauma.
The Worms Head Hotel fire will be remembered as a close call, but also as a testament to the power of being present in the right place at the right time—and to the extraordinary courage shown by two local chefs in the most unexpected of circumstances.