Smoke rose through the rubbish chute shafts as high as the 11th floor, with Mr Gilruth raising the alarm on discovering it in the hallway of their home.

The family was taken to Ninewells Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. They stayed with Tracy’s mother overnight because their flat was smoke-damaged.

Tayside Fire and Rescue suspect the blaze began in the ground floor bin recess. The cause is still under investigation, but the police have ruled out any suspicious circumstances.

Tracy said, “It was very worrying at the time. There was smoke everywhere — it’s because there’s no lid on our rubbish chute.

“The fire crew were very good and made sure we got out of the building safely. I had to put a blanket over Jack to keep him from inhaling the smoke.”

Ms Barber says she has lived in the block for ten months and this is the fourth fire in that time.

“The council is putting us up in a hotel until the flat has been cleaned, but we really want to go to a new house — for Jack’s sake.”

Paul King, a crew manager with Tayside Fire and Rescue described the incident as “very serious”, because people could have become trapped in their homes.

Sixth floor resident Catherine Findlay was celebrating a new job last night, having a drink with a friend.

She said, “My friend phoned for a taxi and I came out of the house to see her off, only to be faced with clouds of white smoke.”

Twelfth floor resident Alex Dickson said, “I’ve been here 12 years and there have been five fires in that time.”

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said “I woke up and thought I could smell smoke. I came out of my flat and there was smoke everywhere. I’m so glad my son wasn’t with me, things could have been a lot different.”

He added that he lived below the flat where a 40-year-old man perished in a blaze last year.