A Kirkcaldy man is continuing his fight for life after sustaining major burns in a fire at his home in the town.
Raj Basnet (36) sustained burns to 30% of his body and remains in a critical condition following the blaze at the flat in Lawson Street at 6.25pm on Wednesday.
It is understood he has been transferred from the Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline to a specialist burns unit at St Johns’s Hospital in Livingston.
A neighbour told The Courier she had alerted the emergency services after Mr Basnet’s pregnant girlfriend had pleaded for help.
Pearl Wilkie (29), who lives next door, said: ”I was the one that phoned the fire brigade. His girlfriend came to my door saying that she couldn’t get in and that she could smell smoke.”
Ms Wilkie said Mr Basnet had only recently moved into the property and that she had seen or heard little of him in that time.
After fire crews broke down the door of the property, Ms Wilkie said she witnessed emergency crews removing an unconscious Mr Basnet.
Another neighbour, David Lithgow, had been surprised by the events of Wednesday night.
He said: ”I can’t remember what time it happened but I saw the flashing lights outside and I was surprised because I thought that flat was empty.”
Within four minutes of receiving the emergency call, crews from Fife Fire and Rescue Service had arrived on the scene with officers reporting large amounts of smoke emerging from the flat with traces of flame coming out of windows at the back.
Police and fire staff returned to the on Thursday morning as they began investigations into the cause of the blaze.
Alex Smart, Fife Fire and Rescue Service group manager, said: ”I could tell you from what I saw that the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen.
”Because it was a first-floor flat with a ground entrance we had to force the door but we have equipment for that. It was very smoky in there but we located the casualty very quickly.”
Fife Constabulary have said they are not treating the fire as suspicious.