Family flee from Stockbridge house fire

A YOUNG family were forced to flee their home after a fierce blaze broke out in the middle of the night and burned through their roof.

Picture, Robin Brown

The two adults and two children managed to escape into the front garden of the house before the fire crews arrived shortly before 2am yesterday morning.

Police tape surrounded the former schoolhouse on Comely Bank Road yesterday where the blaze broke out, and part of the playground at Flora Stevenson Primary School was cordoned off while the house was examined to determine the cause of the fire.

According to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the alarm was initially raised just after 1.30am, by a call from a mobile phone reporting a fire in the second-floor shower room.

The flames then spread into the roof space, causing large holes to form on the roof of the house.

It is understood the family were treated at the scene by ambulance crews but did not require medical attention.

Neighbours were shocked to hear of the blaze.

One neighbour, whose home looks directly on to the property, said: “I woke up this morning and saw the massive hole in the roof. I couldn’t believe it. I’m quite a light sleeper so I’m surprised I didn’t hear a thing. I hope everyone is OK.”

Picture, Robin Brown

A shopkeeper in the nearby James Borthwick convenience store said that while he was driving to work around 4am he noticed dozens of fire engines and police cars outside the property.

He said: “There were loads of emergency services across the road but I couldn’t see any fire so it must have been put out by the time I arrived.”

The blaze is understood to have taken fire crews almost three hours to extinguish. Parents with pupils at Flora Stevenson Primary School and Nursery received a text to inform them of the fire, and that part of the playground would be cordoned off as lessons continued as normal.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue service said: “We were called at 1.34am on Monday to reports of a fire in a two-storey property. The fire was situated on the second-floor roof space.

The fire started in the early hours in Stockbridge. Picture; John Devlin

“Crews used a line of hose and a hose reel to put out the fire. Crews left the scene around 5am and there were no casualties.”

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police were called following a fire at an address in Comely Bank Road.

“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended and the blaze was extinguished around 5am. The occupants were treated at the scene by the Scottish Ambulance Service, but did not require further medical attention.

“The fire is being treated as non-suspicious. The roundabout at the junction of Orchard Brae and Comely Bank Road was closed for a period of time, but later reopened.”