| John Walley (22) returned home to his mum’s Blackness Road home shortly after 2am after helping his younger sister Samantha celebrate her 19th birthday in the town.
John got in and put on the chip pan — but forgot to turn it off when he was finished.
With no smoke alarm in the house, John’s mum Debbie told the Tele this morning she dreads to think what could have happened had she not woken up.
“I heard John come in about 2am,” she said, sitting in her blackened kitchen.
“I’m so glad I woke up and got the kids out. I knew the kitchen was on fire because the door was slightly open and I saw these huge flames.
“I couldn’t get right to the pan, but got around it enough to throw up the switch and turn the heat off. The door was shut by that stage.
“The pan was still burning, but it was just as well I left it then and got the kids out.”
Having turned off the heat Debbie went back through the smoke-filled hall and woke up her granddaughters Yazmin (12) and two-year-old Kayliegh.
Two appliances from Tayside Fire and Rescue’s Blackness Road station arrived within minutes and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the flames.
John, Yazmin and Kayliegh were all unharmed, but Debbie had to be treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
Debbie’s daughter Samantha arrived at the ground floor flat to find her mother sitting in an ambulance outside.
Debbie said, “Samantha got the fright of her life. She was really upset.”
This morning as she assessed the damage Debbie said she was feeling fine and ready to tackle the clean-up operation. “I’m upset this morning,” she said through tears, “But I feel fine.
“It’s just the thought of what could have happened. I’ve just got Yazmin off to school and she’s fine, but she had a very restless night.”
Looking at the charred wallpaper and blackened ceiling she said, “I’ve now got to get this place stripped, washed down and painted. I’m going to start that today.
“I’ll get my son involved. He’s devastated at what happened, but I’ve got a big family so they will all gather around and help.”
Debbie praised the quick response of the emergency services.
“I’ve no smoke alarm, but the fire brigade are coming up today for a home safety visit and they’re going to fit one,” she said. “They were very, very good last night. I’m just grateful everybody’s safe.” |
