| Firefighters were called to the flat in Byron Street shortly after 7.00 last night after reports of smoke coming from the windows of the property.
The fire crews had been told there were people inside the flat, and three appliances attended the incident.
Six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and were able to douse the flames. However their search revealed no one had been inside the flat when the incident occurred.
Although the flat was empty, occupant Paul Crichton said he would normally have been home at the time, and, looking up at the flat from the street, said, “It looks like there’s been an explosion inside. I’m usually at home in the evenings so I could have died — or my son, who is 12, if he’d been there.”
Mr Crichton, who has lived in the flat for seven years, was left distraught at the damage to his property.
The flat was extensively damaged by smoke and firefighters also had to check the roofspace and adjacent properties to ensure the blaze had not spread.
An investigation is under way. |
