Man injured after jump from Perth burning building

A 26 year old man was being treated in hospital for serious injuries today after he jumped from the third floor of a blazing block of flats in the centre of Perth.

Perth High Street. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

He plunged from the top floor of the four storey building in the city’s St Catherine’s Square late last night before firefighters arrived to tackle the blaze.

A number of residents of adjoining flats were led to safety by firefighters while firemen from six units of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service fought the inferno.

The injured man was rushed by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with serious injuries.

The complex of flats is just off the city’s High Street.

A spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Service said: “Shortly after 11:30pm last night the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Dundee Control Room received the first of several calls to a fire in a third floor flat at St. Catherine’s Square in the High Street, Perth.

“On arrival the first fire appliances were faced with a serious fire in a flat on the top floor of a four storey block of flats. One person had already jumped from the flat which was on fire sustaining serious injuries and was immediately given medical assistance by Firefighters and paramedics.

“A number of people were evacuated from adjoining flats for their safety while firefighters gained access to extinguish the fire. Six firefighters using breathing apparatus and firefighting jets extinguished the fire while other firefighters evacuated the building and the high reach appliance was also deployed to assist with firefighting and checking for fire spread in the roof space

“The fire was extinguished a short time later containing the fire damage to one flat. Fire service personnel remained on scene for a period of time cutting away and damping down to ensure there was no further risk of fire spread until all appliances left the scene at 2.16am.”

He continued: “At the height of the fire there were six fire appliances in attendance including four fire appliances, a high reach appliance and a command support unit which arrived from Perth, Dunkeld, Auchterarder and Dundee. A joint fire investigation will take place today with our colleagues from Police Scotland.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue’s Incident Commander Billy McLintock praised the efforts of the firefighters involved. He said: “I would like to give my thanks to the firefighters and partner agencies for their swift and effective actions which undoubtedly brought this serious fire to a safe conclusion.”

A spokesman for the Tayside Division of Police Scotland said: “The fire was extinguished by units from Tayside Fire and Rescue and a 26 year-old male occupant was taken to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, suffering from injuries sustained in the fire. Police officers are still making enquiries into the case of the blaze.”