An 88-year-old Dundee man was close to tears as he watched his beloved garden and shed destroyed by flames.
Firefighters said had they arrived on the scene just minutes later, William Robertson and his 84-year-old wife Rita could have seen their Fintry home completely destroyed.
The blaze broke out shortly after 6pm on Tuesday and two appliances from the city’s Kingsway East fire station rushed to the house on Fintry Drive after being alerted by neighbours.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus had to act quickly to extinguish the fire, which had already torn through the shed and caused the windows at the back of the couple’s home to break due to the heat.
Mrs Robertson was treated at the scene by paramedics for smoke inhalation as a precaution but did not require hospital treatment.
Despite the couple’s lucky escape, an emotional Mr Robertson was struggling to come to terms with the fact his treasured garden which was once photographed by The Courier was gone forever.
He said, “It’s just a mess now I could cry. It used to be so bonnie, but that’s me finished with it now. I don’t think I’ll bother any more, it’s really sad.”
With Mr Robertson too overcome to continue speaking, his daughter Janice Ross added, “My dad’s 88 and his garden is all he’s got so he’s obviously very upset.
“He got a bit of a shock when he saw it for the first time and I think it’s going to take a wee while for it to sink in, but the main thing is that him and my mum are okay.”
Steve Dye, crew manager from Kingsway East fire station, said, “It’s really lucky that the fire brigade got there early because it could have been a lot worse.
“All of the windows at the back of the house were cracked and had we arrived there just a few minutes later it probably would have spread to the house.”
Neighbour Pamela Massie (29) said she first become aware of the blaze when her children Aidan (4) and Karly (2) rushed in from the back garden to tell her.
Her home was also heat damaged and her children “quite upset.”
“I just wanted to get them out as quickly as I could after I got their dad to phone 999,” she added.