Blaze gives family warm welcome to Edinburgh

A FAMILY were forced who were forced to flee an early morning blaze in their Merchiston home had only moved in a week ago.

Richard Lamb, his wife Silvana and their son Carlos Eduardo had just moved to Edinburgh from London as works manager Mr Lamb prepares to begin work on the new Forth crossing.

Fire crews were called to their Colinton Road flat at 7.05am yesterday with faulty wiring blamed for the blaze.

Mr Lamb, 44, said: “It was an electrical fault, it’s just what happens in old buildings like this with old wiring.

“There was a water pipe vibrating against some old wiring.

“I was up already and saw this little fire in the carpet but when I looked at it, it went all the way through.

“Everything happened at once.

“I saw the flames, the fire alarm went off and ten seconds later the firemen burst in.

“Our neighbour’s flat had been filled with smoke so she called the fire brigade.”

Mr Lamb, 45-year-old Silvana and their four-year-old son were helped from the property, which is just across the road from George Watson’s College, before crews set about tackling the fire.

Mrs Lamb, who is originally from Brazil, said: “We just saw the fire and got out of the house.

“We’ve only been here a week. We’ve just moved up from London and all our things are still packed.

“We certainly got a warm welcome.”

After being ushered to safety the family, dressed only in their pyjamas, watched as crews extinguished the blaze.

Firefighters managed to put out the blaze in under an hour and made sure the property was safe.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue said: “The fire was in a three-storey building, which has been converted into three flats.

“The fire had started in the floor between the first and ground floors.”

The spokesman added: “A male and a female adult and a male child were rescued from the first floor.”

[email protected]