A joint investigation by fire teams and police officers yesterday confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding an Aberdeen flat blaze that resulted in four people being sent to hospital.
Five appliances and a height vehicle from stations around the city were dispatched to the ground-floor fire at a property in Blenheim Place, in the Queen’s Cross area of the city, at 6.50pm on Sunday evening.
A total of 26 firefighters attended the well-developed fire, and battled for a number of hours to make sure it was fully extinguished.
During the incident, service crew, wearing breathing apparatus, entered the three-storey block of flats and evacuated all occupants.
These included one man, who had to be rescued by a ladder from the first floor, a woman, a child, and a man who was found inside the ground floor flat where the fire started.
All four were taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Yesterday, fire investigation crews could be seen inside the ground floor property, which has been severely damaged and blackened by the blaze.
Working with colleagues from the police, fire teams last night confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire.
One neighbour, who arrived home shortly after the fire began, said: “I saw a lot of smoke, and a lot of fire.
“There were a lot of firemen and an ambulance or two parked outside, while the street was full of neighbours who had come out to see what was going on.
“Everyone was very concerned about what could happen, it was a really bad fire.”
A spokesman for the fire service said the severity of the blaze showed how important it was for the public to ensure their smoke detectors were functioning properly.
He added: “Scottish Fire and Rescue Service would like to remind everyone of the importance of having smoke detection and making sure it is positioned correctly, and that the detectors are checked regularly.
“A free home fire safety visit is available for anyone who has any concerns about fire safety in their home.”
This can be arranged by calling 0800 0731 999 or texting the word Fire to 80800 from your mobile phone.
