MSP’s blaze drama
An East Kilbride-based Tory MSP has told how he and other residents fled a block of flat sin a“dramatic” evacuation after a fire broke out in the early hours of the morning.
Central Scotland member Graham Simpson was one of around 150 people who escaped the blaze in Breadalbane Street in Edinburgh.
Around 45 firefighters tackled the blaze after Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent nine pumps and a height appliance to the scene when the alarm was raised at 4.10am last Thursday.
Describing what happened, Mr Simpson told the Scottish Daily Express: “The fire alarm went off and people started evacuating and everybody got out.
“There is a fire in the fifth floor flat and flames were belching out of that flat, and it has then spread upwards to the sixth floor and the fire is still going on and smoke is belching out. I can still see flames, it appears to have spread to the stairwell. Everybody has been evacuated, nobody has been hurt, that’s the main thing, but some people will have lost their homes.
“People got out but it was very dramatic and still is.”
Mr Simpson praised the fire crews for doing a “fantastic” job but access issues were making it more difficult for them as they could not drive up to the front of the building.
He said: “I think there is a safety issue in that the fire brigade cannot get a fire engine up to the front of these flats because of the way they are designed, so what they’re having to do to get access from the front is actually carry ladders up to the front and put ladders up against balconies, it’s pretty shocking. They have managed to drive up round the back, I’ve seen a turntable ladder spraying water into the flats from there, but they cannot get proper access to the front.
“They’ve got into some flats and they’re spraying water from balconies but right now the fire is still raging. The fire brigade should be able to drive up to the front of the building and get a turntable ladder. It’s quite ludicrous they are having to carry ladders up and physically put ladders up to balconies. They are doing a fantastic job but the fire is still going.”