Terrified residents flee blaze as block of flats in Saughton Mains Park is destroyed

TERRIFIED residents who fled a blazing block of flats in Edinburgh have spoken of their dramatic escape.

A fire broke out in a top-floor flat on Saughton Mains Park just before 7am yesterday and quickly spread to the roof of the block.

A total of 30 residents ran from the building, many of whom were in their pyjamas and had nothing on their feet, before the blaze ripped through the block.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nobody was injured, with residents escaping from their homes before firefighters arrived.

Mother-of-two Lyndsey Smith, 25, lives in a flat on the third floor of the four-storey block with her husband Ian, 28, and children Amy, five, and Max, one.

She said: "I heard my neighbour shouting in the stair and I could smell smoke. I opened our door and the smoke just hit me.

"I just started screaming 'get the kids'. I just panicked and we grabbed the kids and started running, I didn't even have any shoes or socks on. I was petrified.

"When we came down the stairs, it was just thick with smoke and it was hitting us in the face. When we got outside there were flames bursting out the window.

"Everybody was running out of their flats and people started crying when they came out. It's everyone's homes and everything's ruined. It's just a nightmare."

Mrs Smith, who yesterday said the family was being temporarily rehomed in a flat in Pilrig, added: "It is just totally devastating and the last thing anyone needs. We just got married in July – my wedding dress was hanging on the back of the door.

"I keep imagining my kids' room filling up with smoke."

Samantha Edgar, 36, also lives on the third floor with her partner David Anderson and three children Cheryl, 16, Danielle, 12, and Kyle, four.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: "I'm gutted. I have stayed here for 16 years and this is where we have brought up our kids – I don't want to move anywhere else. The important thing is that everybody's all right."

It is understood that the woman who lived in the flat where the fire started was not at home at the time. Residents said she was a nurse who worked nightshift.

More than 40 firefighters battled the blaze. Incident commander John Dickie said: "It appears that the fire spread through the roof space of the affected flat and into the adjoining properties' roof space.

"It took a number of hours to get the fire under control and crews using breathing apparatus were able to search 14 out of the 16 properties in the block.

"Due to the fire damage in the final two properties, it is not safe for firefighters to enter them at this time. We are awaiting a demolition team to remove the damaged roof pitches before we can gain access."

It is understood that the block, which has a total of 16 council and privately-owned flats, will not be habitable for several months.

The entire top floor has been gutted, with part of the roof thought to have collapsed. The flats on the remaining three floors also suffered smoke damage.

Residents were taken to Carrickvale Community Centre where the city council had set up a rest centre.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A council spokesman said: "Council staff, including social workers and housing officials, were joined by the British Red Cross at the centre to help residents. One of our main roles was to identify those who needed temporary accommodation, and up to 16 people have been identified."

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Related topics: