Guests flee as blaze breaks out in kitchen

A HOTELIER has described his "terrifying" fight through choking black smoke to evacuate his young children and guests when a blaze ripped through the kitchen of his 15th century hotel.

Peter Hood, owner of the Retreat Castle Hotel in Bonnyrigg, rounded up his six guests, six members of staff, wife and two children aged nine and six after fire alarms alerted him to the danger.

The kitchen was situated in a newer extension to the listed building, which dates back to 1640. A quick response from the fire brigade prevented the blaze spreading to the main building.

Mr Hood said: "It was really quite terrifying being in the middle of all that smoke with alarms bells going off everywhere. I'm still a state of shock.

"I could barely see where I was going as I struggled through the corridors to evacuate the guests, and I couldn't find my way out because the smoke was so thick and black.

"The children were also very shaken, but they're fine now. They are more concerned about the peacocks we keep in the grounds, which they are very fond of. Thankfully they were unharmed."

It took 26 firefighters to bring the blaze under control. The fire started at around 11.45am yesterday (sun] at the Cockpen Road hotel, and has completely destroyed the kitchen.

Firefighters also had to tear down the roof to ensure that there was no burning embers which could reignite the fire.

The hotel was forced to close and all of the guests were rehoused. Mr Hood is hoping to have the hotel back up and running with a limited service this weekend.

He added: "We won't be able to serve any food because the kitchen is completely destroyed. My main priority for the moment is making the place safe.

"I'm not too worried about the damage or the cost, I'm just glad that everybody got out safely. The firefighters did a wonderful job. They were on the scene within about five minutes and got the fire under control quite quickly."

A fire investigation unit was also on the scene but the cause of the blaze is thought to be accidental.

David Mackie, of Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The fire started in the kitchen and spread through the ventilation ducts.

"We used hoses to extinguish the blaze and then used cutting equipment and thermal imaging cameras to ensure that it was completely extinguished.

"This was quite a serious fire and the damage to the kitchen was extensive."

n A whole tenement block had to be evacuated in Polwarth when a fire took hold in a flat on Saturday night.

Three people had to be rescued from the four-storey Watson Crescent tenement, including a man suffering from the effects of severe smoke inhalation and a man and woman trapped on the second floor, while another 12 occupants got themselves out.

Police closed the road while firefighters tackled the blaze, which severely damaged the first floor flat and surrounding close, at around 8.20pm. A fire and rescue spokeswoman said: "A fire investigation unit is currently working to determine the cause of the blaze, which left the block badly damaged."

Police said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.