A senior officer at Tayside Police has an ”open mind” over the cause of a devastating fire which took hold in a West End chip shop in the early hours of Friday morning.
Twenty-six people fled their homes after fire broke out in the Victor Fish Bar in Blackness Road. Flames spread through the shop’s ventilation chimney and into the top-floor flat, setting it alight.
The resulting blaze, which saw adjoining properties also evacuated, was reported to emergency services at 2.20am. It took around 30 firefighters four hours to bring the fire under control.
A cordon around the scene remained in place on Friday as police and fire officers continued their inquiries.
Chief Inspector Sandy Brodie said: ”At the moment we will retain an open mind about the potential cause of the fire.”
Frank Vella, who owns the fish bar, arrived at the scene around the same time as fire crews after the shop’s burglar alarm went off.
”The fire looked like it was just in the shop and then it just appeared right up the back,” he said. ”It was mainly all smoke when I arrived and when they opened the door that let in a little bit more and it went off from there.
”The fat was just all alight. I let them in round the back and as we went round this bit of burning wood dropped from the roof and we had to run.”
One of the residents in the top-floor flat said he and his flatmate sprinted to the nearby fire station when they heard the alarm.
”We could smell something burning from downstairs,” he said. ”Looking into the Victor we saw that there was fire.
”We ran down to the fire station to get someone but they were already on their way.
”We came back and realised the fire had got up to our flat. It was about 10 or 20 minutes after getting out that the fire went up there.
”It was quite big from the back. It looked like the whole kitchen was burnt out.”
Scott Symon, station manager at Blackness Road fire station, said he had been worried about the fire spreading to neighbouring buildings.
”We had real concern that the fire it was well alight when we got here looked like it was starting to spread along the eaves and the gutter,” he said.
Mr Symon said the fourth-floor flat and chip shop had severe smoke and fire damage while the flats in between had suffered water damage from the hoses.
Despite this the occupants of the first, second and third-floor flats have been allowed to return home.
Barry Chalmers (28) a professional poker player, was watching television in his top-floor flat opposite the chip shop when he heard the shop’s burglar alarm go off.
”I saw the fire brigade arrive and they started looking through the shop window,” he said. ”They burst through the shutters using a crowbar. The owner of the chip shop arrived around this time and had his head in his hands. I felt quite sorry for him.
”Smoke was belching out the front but from my window I could see flames coming out of the roof opposite.”
No one was hurt in the fire but many of the residents spent the night sleeping in chairs in the fire station dining room.
West End councillor Fraser Macpherson praised the efforts of emergency workers.
”This was a serious fire and I’m just relieved that no-one was hurt,” he said. ”I’ve been in touch today with Tayside Fire and Rescue to thank them for their sterling efforts and professionalism.
”Victor’s is something of a local institution, a much loved chip shop and well used by the local community, so we hope the business can have necessary repairs undertaken and be back as soon as possible.”
Police are urging anyone with any information about the incident to contact them on 0300 111 2222.