A man had to be rescued and three other people – including a child – were led to safety following a flat fire in Kirkcaldy on Thursday evening, it has emerged.
Firefighters pulled the male occupant from the ground floor property in Smeaton Gardens at around 5.45pm after smoke was seen billowing from the window.
The man, who is understood to be in his 50s, was given first aid at the scene for burns to his hands and face, and also needed oxygen for smoke inhalation, before being taken to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital for further treatment.
Crews then searched the other flats and led three people who had been in an upstairs flat to safety.
The trio, two women and a child, were checked over by paramedics but did not require a trip to hospital.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the first crews who attended were faced with a “well developed” fire within a room in the property, and admitted the blaze could have had far more serious consequences.
“Scottish Fire and Rescue Service would like to remind everyone of the importance of having smoke detection and making sure that it is positioned correctly and that the detectors are checked regularly,” the spokesperson added.
“A free home fire safety visit is available for anyone who has any concerns about fire safety in their home and can be arranged by calling 0800 0731 999 or texting “FIRE” to 80800 from your mobile phone.”
The man at the centre of the drama has since been released from hospital and was back home on Friday.
However, despite the potential severity of what happened, he refused to talk to The Courier about the incident.
“I haven’t got time for this,” he said.
Charred furniture and belongings were positioned outside the block of flats in Smeaton Gardens yesterday, while the property’s windows were also open to assist with ventilation.
Two fire crews from Kirkcaldy Fire Station had been called out to tackle the fire, with firefighters using four breathing apparatus sets and two hose reel jets to bring the situation under control.
While the blaze itself was extinguished relatively quickly, the stairwell of the block of flats was heavily smoke logged – prompting fire personnel to try and evacuate some of the other properties.
The two adults and a child were taken downstairs by firefighters and looked over by ambulance personnel outside, but they were not taken to hospital.
A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed officers had been in attendance but said there were “no suspicious circumstances” surrounding the incident.
