Elderly couple flee as blaze hits home

AN elderly couple had to flee their home after the top floor of the property caught fire.

Fire crews were called to Maule Street in Monifieth around 10.30pm yesterday after reports of a house fire.

The occupants of the property were at home when the fire started.

Neighbour James Harley spoke to the Tele today about the incident.

He said he first became aware of flames when his wife said that their neighbours appeared to be having a bonfire.

He added: “I went outside, but by that time the fire service had arrived.

“My neighbours had got themselves safely out of the house and had been able to call the fire service.

“They were safe and unharmed, which is the main thing, but their house is in a dreadful mess.

“There is a massive hole in the roof. My neighbours had been sitting watching television when the fire started. The first they knew of it was when their TV and lights stopped working.

“Only then did they realise that their house was on fire. The fire service was here for around an hour and and didn’t leave until around midnight.”

Mr Harley said he believed the couple had gone to stay with family or friends overnight.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish and Fire Rescue Service said they were called to a fire in the roof space of a house in Maule Street around 10.30pm yesterday.

She said the occupants of the house were able to call the fire service themselves, adding: “Three appliances from Balmossie and Kingsway East attended.

“They were able to get the fire under control and left the scene just before midnight.”

A 42-YEAR-OLD man lost his life after a fire took hold in a block of flats in East Wemyss on Saturday.

Wullie Smart died in the blaze at Sir Jimmy Shand Court.

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 10.30am after a neighbour raised the alarm.

Mr Smart was removed from the ground floor flat but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighbouring flats were also evacuated as a precautionary measure while fire crews extinguished the flames.

A joint investigation involving Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is now underway to establish the circumstances of the blaze.

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The damaged house.