Firefighter rushed to hospital after blaze

The fire, at a unit on the Houstoun Industrial Estate, in Grange Road, Livingston, was so powerful that more than 35 firefighters had to be called out.

The crew member was taken to St John's Hospital after he suffered from heat exhaustion, before being later discharged.

In what was described as a "highly dangerous" situation, firefighters from five vehicles worked quickly to remove four gas cylinders containing explosive material and a large diesel tank from the warehouse, owned by Tone Scaffolding Services.

The team was forced to use hydraulic cutting material to open the thick steel roller doors at the property at about 5:30pm on Saturday.

Group manager Mike Partington said: "It could have been a very serious situation if the team hadn't acted so promptly.

"One of the firefighters who had to carry heavy equipment through thick smoke suffered from heat exhaustion. He was struggling with a headache and wobbliness. There was an ambulance on the scene as a precautionary measure and it took him to St John's.

"There was a lot of thick, black smoke but the team was fantastic. It could have been a very problematic situation because the roller doors made it hard to gain entry, so we had to use cutting equipment."

It is believed that the fire started in a vehicle within the building, although the specific cause is not yet known. A number of vehicles were destroyed and the whole building was affected by smoke damage.

The firefighter affected is now recovering at home.

Fire crews were at the scene for over four hours.

A man was rushed to hospital after suffering severe burns in a fire at a sheltered accommodation complex on Saturday.

Fire crews raced to the Queen's Bay Crescent flats in Joppa after the blaze broke out at about 12:15pm.

Firefighters rescued the man, believed to be in his 60s, from a first-floor flat, before taking him to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue said: "Crews rescued one male in his 60s from a first-floor flat that was well alight. The patient was suffering from severe burns and smoke inhalation."

The cause of the fire is unknown.