Firefighters are warning people to keep stairwells clear, after leading three women and a baby to safety from a block of flats in Perth.
The four were trapped inside two flats following a blaze in a close in Newhouse Road last Friday around 5.40pm.
It has been revealed that as toxic smoke and intense heat filled the building, control room firefighters gave survival guidance to ‘999 callers’ trapped in their homes.
Firefighters in breathing apparatus made their way to the properties and stayed with the residents until their colleagues had extinguished the fire and cleared smoke to allow them to safely leave the close.
On Thursday group manager Rab Middlemiss, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue in Perth and Kinross, said the incident shows how a fire in a close could easily have “tragic consequences”.
“It has to be a powerful reminder of the need to always keep communal areas clear,” he said.
“Many people living in flats store household items on their landings and bags of rubbish are often left to be taken out later. Doing so poses real risks. A fire involving rubbish will produce thick, acrid smoke that will rapidly spread throughout a close, resulting in the terrifying experience of people being trapped in their homes.
“Even a small fire in a close will also give off intense heat that can cause devastating damage to property and endanger lives.”
In the aftermath, firefighters visited properties in the Letham area of Perth to offer advice.
Perth and Kinross community wardens are prioritising the Newhouse Road area and the council has also issued letters warning people of the dangers posed by leaving items in or overfilling bin stores.
Mr Middlemiss added: “As well as endangering people at the scene, needless fires also risk lives by tying up resources that could be needed at an emergency.
“Even small fires involving rubbish require at least one of our crews to put out. Having to deal with such incidents means they’d be unavailable to help someone trapped following a serious road crash or a fire.”