A woman has praised two workmen who rushed to her aid following a ferocious blaze at a Dundee tenement.
Chelsea Park was trapped in her top floor flat as flames engulfed properties on St Columba Gardens on Monday.
The 21-year-old has praised the “heroic” men who rushed over with a giant ladder from the nearby Craigowl Primary School.
Police Scotland confirmed they have launched an investigation and are treating the incident in St Mary’s as deliberate.
Chelsea, who shares the flat with her four-year-old son, Mason, has now been relocated to another property in the scheme.
‘There was so much smoke’
She said: “It was terrifying what happened.
“I tried to open the front door of my flat and the close was engulfed in smoke.
“I knew I couldn’t get down the stairs so I tried to close the door again. There was so much smoke coming in that I couldn’t shut it.”
The sales advisor retreated back to the living room and looked out the window for assistance.
She said: “I saw one of my neighbours and asked where the fire was.
“There was a sofa on fire on the ground floor and one of the other neighbours told me to jump.
“I’ve got a fear of heights and I just couldn’t bring myself to jump.
“The workies rushed over with the ladder but it was all a bit mad at that point and the workman told me I needed to come down.”
Shortly after climbing down to safety, Chelsea was tended to by paramedics as fire crews battled the inferno.
She said: “My face was covered in black smoke and I was taken to Ninewells Hospital to be checked over.
“Thankfully I was out that day.”
Chelsea has tried to contact the school in the aftermath to thank the workmen.
‘How lucky we’ve all been here’
She added: “If it wasn’t for them I don’t think I’d be here today.
“I’ve been in touch with the school to find out who they were.
“As I went back in to collect some personal belongings from the block I’ve seen the extent of the damage to the internal close.
“It has hit home again just how lucky we’ve all been here.
“The council have said it could be months before we get back in but I’ll not be moving back there, not after what has happened.
“It’s scary to think what someone has come into our block and done.”
A spokeswoman for Dundee City Council added: “We are continuing to engage with our tenants as we assess the damage to the building.” .
