Baby is rescued through the window as two die in blaze at five-star hotel
TWO people were killed yesterday after a huge blaze engulfed a five-star hotel as more than 200 guests slept.
And a honeymoon couple saw their baby rescued from a third-floor window by firefighters before being led down a ladder themselves.
The devastating fire at the Cameron House hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond broke out just after 6am yesterday, ripping through several floors in minutes and forcing guests to flee in their night clothes.
One guest was pronounced dead at the scene while another died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Renfrewshire.
As dozens congregated outside the blazing building, the honeymooners, who married on Friday, and their baby were taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation. They were later discharged.
The blaze produced a huge plume of smoke that could be seen for miles all day yesterday. Firefighters said it had left the hotel, which dates back to the 18th century, extensively damaged.
At the height of the blaze there were 14 appliances and more than 70 crew at the scene. They were still putting out pockets of fire as darkness fell.
The family taken to hospital were named by friends as Andrew Logan, his bride Louise and their son Jimmy. Their friend
‘Rooms filled with smoke’
Chris Smith posted on Facebook: ‘Just letting everyone know that Andy and Louise are OK with Jimmy, they just managed to get out before the fire got to their room.’
Hotel guests – many wearing little more than bath robes – were taken to the hotel’s Boathouse restaurant while fire crews fought the blaze a few hundred yards away. From the safety of the restaurant, many posted messages on social media to let their loved ones know they were all right.
Ainsley Huxham from Dumfries, tweeted: ‘Never have I ever been so scared of death until this morning waking up to a fire outside my hotel room.’
Jim Slight, 57, from Dalkeith, Midlothian, described the horrific scene as he and his wife fled. Mr Slight, who had been celebrating his birthday at the hotel, said: ‘ The alarm went off at 6.40am. We exited via a fire door and then walked past the front of the building and the main entrance.
‘Smoke was billowing from the building. We could see two of the rooms were filled with smoke. And just as we were passing the corner of the building we heard glass smashing above. That’s when three people came out on the balcony.’
Ian Miller, a former church minister, was offering pastoral support for guests. He said: ‘One woman just stood in her dressing gown and said “we are alive”. There were one or two who I spoke to who were caught up in the fire. One said it was just a case of “I grabbed my baby and left”.’
Police Scotland said it was too early to say what had caused the fire at the hotel, which left the central section severely damage. Cameron House is a popular wedding venue and houses the Michelinstarred Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond restaurant. It last changed hands for around £80million in 2015.