Mother saved as blaze guts pub and flat

THIS is the dramatic moment that firefighters rescued a mother-of-one from a fierce blaze which ripped through a city pub and tenement.

• Mum Heidi Pearson is lifted to safety from her top-floor flat

Heidi Pearson was rescued via a turntable ladder from the five-storey building on Buccleuch Street.

The 42-year-old said she was "scared and shaky" as she was lifted through the kitchen window of her top-floor flat.

More than 50 firefighters tackled the blaze after it broke out in the Meadow Bar's function suite just before 11am.

Ms Pearson's friend Chris Berry, who was visiting, was also lifted to safety. Her 12-year-old daughter was at school during the rescue.

Ms Pearson said: "When I came down from the upstairs part of my flat I could smell smoke, so I opened the front door and the stairwell was full of smoke.

"One of the boys from downstairs was shouting to get out because there was a fire but I couldn't get through the smoke.

"I opened the kitchen window and saw a lot of fire engines and police cars below and then a firefighter on a turntable ladder lifted me through the window into his basket.

"I was scared and shaky and the adrenaline was pumping, but the firefighters did a great job of keeping me from freaking out."

Ms Pearson and Mr Berry were both treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics at the scene.

A fire service spokeswoman said the "massive operation" required seven appliances. Investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing.

The roof of the Meadow Bar function suite collapsed and there was "considerable smoke damage" in the tenement block.

Student Matthew Duncan and archaeologist Edward Rayner, both 22, who share a flat above the Meadow Bar, said they woke to find their home "black with smoke".

Mr Duncan said: "I was just lying there when I heard the alarm go off, then spotted the flames. I was pretty panicked. The hall was filled with smoke so I called Ed to phone the fire brigade and we were out there straight away."

It is believed that the fire broke out between the bar's ceiling and the pair's flat, and smoke quickly moved through the tenement block.

Firefighters had to be drafted in from Fife and West Lothian for several hours to help cover the city centre in case of further blazes. Police closed the street, stretching along to Hope Park Terrace, and it took around an hour-and-a-half to bring the blaze under control.

Robbie Howie, owner of the Meadow Bar, said he was "gutted" after arriving at work to find his business ablaze.

He said: "I'm not sure what happened but I'm told they've had to pull the roof down to make sure there aren't any more fires."I imagine the function room will be out of action for quite a while, but I'm hoping there isn't too much damage downstairs."

David Blair, group manager of operations at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Both the first-floor function suite and the second-floor flat were affected.

"It is too early to say how the fire started. It appears that it broke out in the function suite of the pub, but fortunately no-one was hurt."