| The two children, who were pulled to safety by firefighters, have been discharged from Ninewells after being rushed to the hospital for treatment last night.
The family was named locally as Tracey Atkinson and her children Jason and Brodie.
Tracey was led to safety by fire crews down the stairs of the tenement close on the corner of Park Avenue and Albert Street in Stobswell, alongside one of her children.
The other child was pulled to safety from the corner livingroom window as thick smoke billowed through the burning fourth-floor flat, then led down a ladder by emergency crews.
Once safely on the ground, paramedics administered oxygen before the family was taken to hospital.
Six appliances attended the incident and residents in neighbouring properties were evacuated for a short period as a safety precaution.
They were allowed back into their homes soon after the fire was extinguished.
Tayside Police confirmed today that there were no serious injuries as a result of the fire, although Mrs Atkinson, believed to be in her mid-30s, was staying in hospital for observation.
Her husband, Graham, was said to be working at his security post at Ninewells when the fire broke out at around 11.30 pm.
Passer-by Arlene Duncan was one of the first to raise the alarm after she saw smoke and heard the children’s screams on her way home from work.
She said, “The kids were at the windows shouting on me to get help because they were trapped.
“I used my mobile to phone the fire brigade. It was quite frightening.”
One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he had watched the drama unfold from the street.
He said, “It was really scary. The kids were shouting for help and their mum looked terrified. The fire service did a great job at getting them out so quickly.
“Who knows what could have happened if they hadn’t.”
Wendy Cobb, manager of the Haddows off-licence that adjoins the flat, said she was shocked to hear about the incident.
She said, “I parked the car this morning and saw the police and the area cordoned off. I got such a fright, I thought somebody had died.
“The damage looks really bad. One of the customers who lives next door said their flat was filled with smoke as well and she could hardly get into their bedroom. I’m really glad they are all okay.”
Mrs Atkinson works at the nearby business Clean Close Co., on Mains Loan.
Alex Fyffe, the company’s business development manager, said they were shocked to hear about the blaze.
He said, “Tracey has worked here for about two years and gets on really well with all the staff.
“They are a lovely family. It is a real shock, but we are so glad to hear they are okay.”
Tayside Fire and Rescue station manager Martin Tait said a joint investigation between the fire service and police was expected to be carried out today to establish the cause of the fire.
“Crews found a well developed fire in the top-floor flat,” he added.
“Crews attended to the fire as it was towards the front of the property.
“We knew there was people inside and we could hear them screaming for help.
“We affected the aerial ladder platform to rescue one of the children, who was standing by the window, and the adult female and another child was led to safety down the stairs after the fire in the flat hallway was extinguished.
“All three were then taken to Ninewells.”
He said the family had been very fortunate to get out of the flat safely.
He added, “It was a very lucky escape, especially considering the substantial amount of damage to the property. It appears to have been based in the hallway, certainly the source, but heat and smoke damage caused extensive damage right through the flat.”
He praise his colleagues for the swift and successful rescue efforts, adding, “The crews did really well. They carried out an effective and efficient job to get people out to safety.”
A Tayside Police spokesman said, “A joint investigation is to be carried out today to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.” |
