Bid to help Loanhead family who escaped from home hit by fire

Six people were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in top story flat in Loanhead.

According to the fundraising pages dad Colin Walker jumped out of the window of the three-storey building to save his partner and children.

Emergency services were alerted to the blaze on the top floor of a three-story building on McNeill Terrace at around 3.30am.

One of the crowdfunding pages, set up by Jamie Campbell, reached its target of £5,000 within 24 hours.

He wrote: “My friend Colin and his partner Michelle and their kids Skye, Erin, Kaiden, Carly-Rose and Flynn have fallen victim to a house fire and have lost everything they own including their home.

“Every penny we can raise to help them out would go a very long way.”

Mr Campbell continued to say that Colin is a youth football coach in Loanhead and “is a hero to most of the kids”.

Another Go Fund Me page, set up by Maria Knox, for the same cause, smashed its £2,000 target within 24 hours. She wrote: “Looking to help one of my best friends whose family home has just been destroyed in a fire.

“Me and my sister have spoken with their family who have agreed we can set up this Go Fund Me account to help raise money for Colin, Michelle and their five children.

“From what we know Colin has been an absolute hero and has saved every single one of the children from the top floor and also his partner.

“We are heartbroken and just want to try and bring them some help at such a difficult time! Any amount will be appreciated more than you can imagine.”

There were 22 residents evacuated, with some receiving medical treatment as a precaution. A 13 year-old girl and a 37 year-old woman were among those taken to hospital. A spokesperson from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “Two residents were rescued from the property by fire fighters and six casualties were handed into the care of Scottish ambulance service before being taken to hospital.”

To donate click here or here.

There has also been an online fundraiser set-up to support the family living in the flat below. Click here to donate.