The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Man aged 93 dies after fire at his Fife home
Villager was rescued by firefighters but lost fight for life in hospital
An elderly man has died after a blaze ripped through his Fife home.
The 93-year-old was rushed to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy in a critical condition following the fire in the west Fife village of Crossford yesterday afternoon. However, he lost his fight for life just hours later.
The emergency services were called to the bungalow on Miller Avenue shortly after noon amid reports the building was well alight.
Neighbours said the widower had only recently been discharged from hospital.
He had lived in the street for many years and was said to be popular with neighbours who often popped in to help him.
One woman said she had been shocked to see so many emergency vehicles in the normally quiet street.
She said: “I was just arriving home and a neighbour said to me ‘there’s been an accident’.
“He had been in hospital a couple of weeks ago but he got home.
“He didn’t want to be in hospital.” Another neighbour said police cars, ambulances and three fire engines had been outside the house for some time.
“It was obvious something serious had happened,” she said.
“It’s such a shame. He’s a lovely man.” The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said 14 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze at its height.
A spokeswoman said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 12.02pm on Wednesday to reports of a dwelling fire in Crossford. Operations control mobilised three fire engines to Miller Avenue where firefighters extinguished the fire.”
A fire investigations unit remained at the scene for several hours afterwards and the front of the house was taped off by police as inquiries continued.
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said they received a call at around 12.15pm. He said: “A paramedic response unit, our specialist operations response teams and an ambulance were dispatched to scene. One male patient in his 90s was taken to Victoria Hospital.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police in Fife are currently working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to investigate the circumstances surrounding a fatal fire in Crossford.
“Officers were called around 12.15pm on Wednesday to a report of a fire at a property on Miller Avenue.
“A 93-year-old man was taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, where he sadly died.
“A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
“The fire is currently being treated as unexplained and inquiries are ongoing.”