Family-of-five treated in hospital as TV sparks blaze

A FAMILY-of-five were taken to hospital after their television exploded sparking a blaze in their Portobello home.

• The top floor flat on Portobello High Street

The casualties - two parents and three young children aged four, three and one - suffered smoke inhalation after a suspected faulty TV ignited a bedroom in the High Street property yesterday afternoon.

All residents evacuated the flat before fire crews arrived. It is understood they were released from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh after treatment.

Fire crews said the bedroom had suffered "extensive" fire damage while the rest of the top floor flat was blackened by smoke.

Susan Graham, 38, owner of The Galleon Bar next door, saw the drama and said the family sought refuge in her pub while waiting for the ambulance.

"We went outside and saw the smoke bellowing out from the front windows and into the street," she said. "The next thing the man, woman and their kids were outside and the firemen went in. (The family] came in here to the bar to keep out of the cold while the ambulance arrived. They looked to be fine and said (the fire] could have been started by a TV."

Another local business-owner, florist Carole Walls of Little Petals Flowers and Fascinators, suspected the house would be badly damaged judging by the plumes of smoke.

"When the three fire engines pulled up there was no sign of fire from the outside really," said the 29-year-old. "I thought it must be a fire out the back of the house but then I saw smoke belching out the windows. I feel really sorry for the mother because if it's as bad as what it looks a lot of stuff will be damaged. I feel so bad I may even drop in some flowers for her."

The flames were extinguished using a high pressure hose reel while fire crews employed four breathing kits to tackle the blaze and vent the property and stairwell.

It is thought fire from the burning television had spread to a carpet and bedroom furniture before crews from Newcraighall, McDonald Road and Musselburgh snuffed out the blaze.

Newcraighall-based watch manager Cameron McKenzie, who was one of the first on the scene, said: "Investigations are still ongoing to establish the cause of the fire but it was possibly caused by a TV.

"There was fairly extensive damage to a bedroom at the side of the property where the TV was and considerable smoke damage to the remainder of the house.

"We had to use a height appliance to reassure residents in the block and urge them to stay in their properties until we had extinguished the fire.

"Like any blaze, this one had the potential to spread but we identified it quite quickly and had three appliances there within minutes so it was pretty straightforward."However, there was a lot of smoke in the common stair and initially officers in charge took the decision to reassure other residents with the height appliance while we vented it.

"It's not rare that TVs cause fires - like any electrical appliance they do become faulty at some stage and can spark fires."

He added: "The parents did the right thing and phoned the fire brigade."