Two children have been cautioned and charged with fireraising after a blaze at a Dundee house.
The fire service was called to the Mid Craigie area of the city on Monday night to deal with the outbreak in Mauchline Terrace. Firefighters warned the blaze could have been far more serious and “a major incident.”
The Scottish Fire Service confirmed they attended the blaze at about 8.20pm.
Watch manager Charlie Harkins said: “It was initially reported to us that gas cylinders within a store were on fire so we mobilised for that.
“When we got to Mauchline Avenue there was a lot of occupants in the street and they informed us it was actually rubbish in the store.
“We got a hose reel jet in to extinguish the fire. I gave the door a knock as the occupant of the house didn’t even realise anything was going on.
“She was watching Coronation Street. She was a bit shocked but she and her son were OK. This is when we got the police involved.
“My concern was that if this had happened in the early hours of the morning it had the potential to be a major incident.”
Neighbours rushed from their homes as the drama unfolded.
One resident said: “We could smell smoke and one of the kids said there had been a fire. The flames were pretty high, up to the top window.
“Everybody had to get out the whole street was out with their pets. The woman whose home it was didn’t know it was going on.
“There were two fire engines and they were here for quite a while.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Tayside Division can confirm that an 11-year-old boy and a 14-year-old were charged and a report sent to the Youth Justice Assessor.”
Police and the fire service are also investigating a separate rubbish fire at a derelict building in Dundee.
Firefighters were alerted after thick clouds of black smoke were seen rising from the James Keiller Estate, near Mains Loan, just after 6pm on Tuesday.