FAMILY FLEE HOME BLAZE
House fenced off after safety fears
A family have been forced out of their Balfron home after it was ruined in a devastating blaze.
The Cotton Street property was ravaged by fire shortly before 5.30pm on Saturday, leaving it fenced off due to safety fears.
Fiona and Ewen EdwardSmith, who occupy the property with their two children and cat and dog, lost virtually all of their possessions as the flames caused serious damage to the roof of the house. They have had to be re-housed. No-one was injured.
The property was still fenced off on Wednesday afternoon although family cat Jasper was still sitting on a wall outside the home.
One neighbour who witnessed the blaze said: “It was all very scary. It just seemed to go up so fast, there wasn’t much anyone could do about until the arrival of the fire and rescue service, who were excellent. The main thing is, nobody was hurt.”
It’s understood that Mrs Edward-Smith and the older child were at home at the time the fire broke out, whilst Mr Edward-Smith and a younger child were on a day out.
It’s unclear what sparked the fire, but Police Scotland
say that it is‘nonsuspicious’and as such had no involvement.
Three fire engines were sent to the location, with the first taking around 20 minutes to arrive even though Balfron Fire station is less than half a mile away.
Roddie Keith, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s local senior officer for Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Fife, said:“Firefighters extinguished the fire and left the scene after ensuring the area had been made safe. There were no casualties.”
Some onlookers raised concerns over the amount of time taken by the emergency services to arrive on the scene and questioned why it was not the local retained fire crew from Balfron fire station who attended.
LSO Keith said:“Balfron Fire Station is crewed by retained firefighters who were unavailable for this incident. However, appliances from other areas were mobilised to the incident immediately with the first crew arriving in less than 20 minutes.
“Retained firefighters, who respond to a pager from home or work when required for emergencies, make a huge commitment increasing support to RDS firefighters and enhancing recruitment and retention of our crews.
“I would encourage others to broaden their horizons, learn new skills and serve at the very heart of their communities by becoming a retained firefighter.”
Stirling Council posters were put up along the cordon warning ‘dangerous building keep out’.
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “Following a fire at a property in Balfron on Saturday night, Building Standards issued a dangerous building notice under Section 30 of the Building Scotland Act (2003).
“We are working with the owner and the insurance company to resolve structural issues in the building as quickly as possible.
“In the meantime, to ensure public safety, Heras Fencing has been erected around the property and into the grounds of neighbouring homes.”
Big-hearted villagers have since rallied round to help the family by starting an online fundraiser to help them.
At the time of going to press, almost £3,000 had been raised for the cause.