Couple rescued from blaze kept in ERI for treatment

AN elderly couple rescued from their burning home by firefighters have been kept in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.

The couple, aged 84 and 81, were rescued by Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service after a fire broke out in their ground-floor flat in Craighouse Park, Morningside, just after 7.30pm on Monday.

They were taken to the ERI to be treated for smoke inhalation, and while their condition was said to be stable they have been kept in for observation by staff at the hospital. A man who fell 20ft trying to escape the flames was released yesterday after being checked over by doctors. Five other people had to be given oxygen by firefighters following the blaze.

A spokeswoman for the fire and rescue service said the blaze, which gutted the flat and caused severe smoke damage to much of the building, had almost certainly been caused by the couple's faulty electric blanket. She warned owners to get their blankets checked by an expert before use.