A man has told of the moment he rushed into a burning Forfar home to help its elderly occupant to safety.
Emergency services tackled the blaze on Glamis Road for nearly two hours on Thursday night.
The road was closed between the junction with Dundee Loan and Lowson Avenue.
A man in his 80s was taken by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital.
Frank Longmuir, 55, who lives across the road, has told how he entered the burning building to help the pensioner.
He told The Courier: “I tried to get in the front door but it was locked so I rushed round the back.
“I managed to get into the conservatory door and called for the old man who lives there.
“He was still in the front of the house so I had to go through the conservatory and the kitchen to get to him.
“He seemed really confused and I basically just began to drag him to get him out.
‘I knew I had to get him out quickly’
“There was intense heat in the house, flames and a lot of smoke.
“I just knew I had to get him out quickly and didn’t hesitate.”
Frank, who retired from working at Aberdeen Harbour last week, says windows in the house were exploding.
He insists his actions were “what anyone would’ve done”.
Frank’s wife Lillian says they were preparing to have dinner when she noticed a “glow” coming from the house.
She said: “I realised immediately the house was on fire.
“I yelled for Frank and I just ran across the road with Frank following.
“We realised our neighbour was still inside and we needed to do something.
“Other neighbours were also out and someone else was calling the fire brigade.”
Irene Patterson, who has lived next door to the house for 30 years, said: “We rushed outside and Lillian and Frank were already at the house and trying to get the man out of the house.
“I had only seen the man a few hours earlier out in his garden.
“There were flames leaping from the house.
“The windows were exploding and there was smoke and flames pouring out the eaves.
“It was all really scary but thank goodness Lillian and Frank managed to get him out.”
Man in his 80s taken to Ninewells Hospital
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at 7.03pm on Thursday to attend an incident on Glamis Road in Forfar.
“We dispatched one ambulance and our special operations team to the scene.
“We transported one male patient in his 80s to Ninewells Hospital.”
The Courier has contacted Police Scotland for more information.
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