Towering plumes of thick black smoke rose above the Coldside area of Dundee as firefighters evacuated around 70 residents from their homes in one of the city’s most ferocious blazes in recent years.
Mother-of-three Michelle Lauder (29) could only watch in horror as the inferno ripped through her home in Scott Court, destroying her children’s toys and “irreplaceable” family photographs.
Sunday’s fire began at around 4.45pm among a pile of cars and old skips at the Henderson Kerr scrap yard on Paterson Street and quickly grew out of control as emergency services rushed to the scene.
Within minutes flames were licking the adjacent row of terraced Hillcrest and council town houses in Scott Court and by 5pm smoke was streaming from the roof as tenants and locals in the busy Strathmartine Road area flocked to see the drama unfold.
A series of loud bangs were heard as windows smashed due to the intense heat and by the time police had cordoned the area off, the middle section of the row of around 15 homes was well alight.
Overcome by emotion, Michelle broke down in tears.
She said, “I have just had a baby and I have a 10-year-old and a seven-year-old.
“All my memories have gone up in flames — all my pictures of them and all their toys. My family pictures are irreplaceable.”
As Tayside Fire and Rescue raced to the scene a large cloud of black smoke rose above the inferno and was visible over much of Dundee.
Around 5.30pm a large hydraulic claw was used to remove a burning skip from the top of a stack of vehicles in an attempt to divert flames away from the roof.
However, the fire had spread inside the properties and began to radiate through the attic space with flames as high as 10ft spreading across the roof.
An aerial platform was used to douse the top of the building while several other hose reels were positioned around the perimeter.
Dundee’s entire fleet of fire engines were called to tackle the blaze, with units from stations in Forfar and Kirriemuir also there as backup.
Many of the residents chose to stay with friends and family but alternative accommodation was provided by Dundee City Council and Hillcrest Housing Association, as both agencies have properties affected by the fire.
It is thought the residents will not be able to return to their homes until today at the earliest.
Gas and electricity staff were called to the scene to isolate power supplies to the affected properties in the interests of safety.
A police spokesman said the cause of the fire has yet to be established. A joint investigation with Tayside Fire and Rescue will begin today.
No one was injured as a result of the fire.
If you were one of the families affected by the blaze, we’d like to hear your story. Phone 01382 223131 and ask for The Courier newsdesk or email courier@dcthomson.co.uk