Published: Wednesday, 9th April, 2008 09:00
Lucky escape for young family as flat goes up in flames
By Ally McGilvray
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The flat in Balmoral Avenue took six firefighters to get under control.
A MUM and her young children were forced to flee their home following a fire which killed their pet cat in Galashiels.
Firefighters, police and ambulance crews raced to the scene of the blaze at a block of flats in the town’s Balmoral Avenue after the alarm was raised on Sunday around midday.
The aftermath of the block of glats as firefighters survey the wreckage.
Neighbours, some of them still in their pyjamas, had to be evacuated from the burning building following the fire in a first floor flat.
Investigations into the cause were continuing but it is understood the blaze broke out after curtains were blown against a halogen heater in a back bedroom.
A neighbour, who made the emergency call, told the Border Telegraph: “It is lucky no-one was killed.”
Shocked residents were this week faced with the task of salvaging what they could from the burnt out building, which forced three families out of their homes, but all escaped injury.
Speaking at the scene, Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade’s group manager Peter Deane told our reporter: “The fire has caused extensive damage but firefighters managed to extinguish the fire and we are currently investigating the scene to determine the cause.
“We received a report of a fire in a house at Balmoral Avenue and on arrival we found that there was a first floor flat well alight.
“We deployed six firefighters with breathing apparatus and lines of hose and discovered a fire in a bedroom.
“The flat below suffered slight water damage and the crews were in there carrying out salvage operations, and there was some light smoke damage to the flat above.”
He added: “All persons were out the flat when the fire was discovered and nobody’s been injured but, unfortunately, one of the pets - a cat - sadly died in the fire.”
Meanwhile, firefighters were forced to cut an elderly woman free from a car which overturned on the A7 near Stow just an hour earlier, on Sunday around 11am, after snow had fallen across much of the area.
Fire and rescue service personnel helped to free the woman who was taken to Borders General Hospital to be treated for back injuries. The female driver of the car was uninjured in the accident.
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