STAFF AT a Methil care home have been praised for their quick thinking after a fire broke out in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Fifty elderly residents of Forth View Care Home were helped to safety by staff after the alarm was sounded at 4.30am.
Crews from Fife Fire and Rescue Service raced to the home as residents were moved to a safe section of the building.
At one point six fire appliances were at the Sea Road site, with officers using two hose reel jets and thermal imaging equipment to tackle the outbreak.
With the blaze extinguished and all people accounted for, the home operators were quick to thank staff on duty at the time.
Sandra Ross, director of operations at Balhousie Care Group, said: “This was a small fire which appears to have broken out on the first floor.
“The emergency services were called and the priority was, of course, to ensure that all our residents and staff were safe.
“A small number of residents were moved to an area away from the fire but no one had to be evacuated outside and no one was injured.
“The fire was brought under control quickly but it is too early to know what may have caused it.
“The six staff who were on duty dealt with the incident quickly and efficiently and we commend them for their handling of the situation.
“We would also like to thank Fife Fire and Rescue Service for their fast response.”
A steady stream of relatives arrived at the home yesterday morning to ensure loved ones were in good health.
Residents who had been moved from their rooms are said to have returned to their accommodation within 90 minutes of the alarm being raised.
Stewart Read, whose house is opposite Forth View, said he had been impressed by the composure of the people dealing with the fire.
He said: “I got woken up about 4.30 and saw the flashing lights outside. I looked out and I could see that the place was ablaze.
“Two fire engines arrived and they were really getting stuck in. It could have been really bad but they seemed to get everyone shifted.
“They must have been pretty organised.”
Although the source of the blaze has yet to be confirmed, police stated there was no criminal element to the fire.
jowatson@thecourier.co.uk