A Fife mechanic has told of his frantic attempts to rescue a friend trapped inside a burning garage.
Leslie Stewart feared Stevie Dawson had died when he stopped communicating with him from the other side of the locked doors.
The quick thinking co-owner of Tyre Stop in Leslie was first to raise the alarm on Wednesday afternoon after he noticed smoke billowing from the burning building next door.
His concern soon turned to horror when he realised his friend was trapped behind the roller shutters which had been pulled down.
“At first I thought Stevie was burning rubbish in a barrel as he does most afternoons but then I noticed the large amount of smoke and went to take a look,” Leslie said.
“Only then did see the smoke pumping out from around the shutters so I started banging on them trying to alert anyone who was inside.
“The access door was locked but I could hear Stevie on the other side.
“He could only get the shutter up about six inches or so and at first he seemed ok despite the amount of smoke.
“But then it all went quiet and I really feared he had succumbed to the blaze and was dead.”
At that moment the fire crews arrived and immediately smashed open the small door to get inside.
Leslie, 28, said: “I really feared the worst and that we had been too late as the building was obviously well alight by then so it was a huge relief to see firefighters emerge with Stevie.
“His face was blackened from the smoke but he was conscious.”
Stevie, 44, who owns SMD Commercials, in Mid Row Croft Outderly, Leslie, was taken by paramedics to Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy where he was treated for smoke inhalation.
A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the alarm had been raised at 4.30pm following reports of a commercial premises on fire.
Four crews used two main jets and breathing apparatus, as well as a foam unit and height appliance, as they battled for more than two hours to bring the blaze under control.
Police remained at the scene yesterday as fire officers continued their investigation into how the blaze started. A number of vehicles were destroyed in the fire which also caused extensive damage to the property.
Despite having raised the alarm and attempts to rescue his friend, Leslie insisted it was the fire crews who were the true heroes.
He said: “I can’t praise the firefighters enough, they are the heroes in all of this, not me.
“I just did what any other person would do in similar circumstances and raise the alarm. It was the firefighters who broke in and pulled Stevie out. They were amazing.”
