An Aberdeen woman has urged the council to take further safety measures after a massive fire devastated her home.
The blaze ignited within Heather Wilson’s house in just eight minutes while she was picking up her children from school.
But she has been left shocked by the the damage which was caused to her property. And she has concerns about how quickly her family are being returned to the house.
Mrs Wilson said: “My seven-year-old said he could smell fire when he got out the car.
“I had entered the house and the smoke literally billowed me back out again.
As a result, almost all her belongings are destroyed or severely damaged – with her passport, laptop and children’s Christmas presents unsalvageable.
It is thought the fire was caused by a faulty plug socket, an issue which caused a previous, but less serious fire at the residence last June.
Ms Wilson has been told by the council that the house should be fit to live in by next week, but she still believes it is dangerous.
She said: “They have told us the flat will be fit to re-enter next week, but I just don’t feel safe going back.
“We’ve had the housing inspector round, but he doesn’t seem to think anything is still wrong, or care for our welfare at all.
“This has been so stressful for the children, and our dog is still very shaken.
“All I want is for the council to ensure this won’t happen again, and consider carrying out further safety checks or rewire the house.
“I’m happy to pay for any decorating and do additional work myself, but I just want to know that the house itself is definitely safe for my family.”
Since last week’s incident, Ms Wilson has hired her own fire safety investigator to survey the damage.
In addition, a specialist vet has visited the family’s one year-old German Shepherd, Jack, who was trapped within the home during the incident.
Amid the stress caused by the blaze, Mrs Wilson thanked ASDA for providing her children with replacement school uniforms, Aberdeen City Council for allowing her to use the creche for free, and her neighbours for their support.
Flat-owners living on Mastrick Road could be out of their homes for another month, after a blaze started in a second floor property last week.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “We offered support to residents by creating a rest centre in a nearby community centre, and offers of temporary accommodation and further support as required.
“We are waiting to fully assess the extent of damage once fire and police colleagues have finished their investigations. We will continue to liaise with residents.”
Response
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “The main damage sustained is from smoke damage and works to clean this have commenced today.
“This property has had a full circuit wire test carried out previously which confirmed the safety of the electrical installation.
“The ceilings within this property have been checked and we can confirm that no asbestos has been detected within these ceilings.
“We will continue to work with and support the tenant during this time, with a view to returning her to her home as quickly as is possible.”
