By Bryan Kay

THE LIVES of three Dundee families were endangered last night after vandals set fire to a bin cupboard in a block of flats.

Second and third floor residents of 69 High Street in Lochee were trapped by smoke spilling into their homes.

The leading firefighter at the scene, Station Officer Robert Buttar, said the culprits had no idea of the level of danger they had caused.

Anxious calls were made to the emergency services and three pump appliances and an aerial platform ladder were summoned to the scene shortly after 8 pm.

When crews reached the tenement, the contents of the cupboard, on the second floor, were found to be well alight with the blaze spreading to the third floor.

Extensive damage was caused to the stairwell and the bin cupboard was completely gutted.

SO Buttar, of Macalpine Road fire station, said it was fortunate the firefighters got to the outbreak as quickly as they did.

He said that had the fire occurred when residents were in bed, the consequences could have been fatal.

“We found the fire in the stairwell bin and storage cupboard and it was well alight when we arrived,” said SO Buttar.

“We extinguished it pretty quickly with two hose reels and with firefighters using four breathing apparatus.

“We used the aerial platform ladder to look inside the properties for occupants. We had to force our way into three of them because we saw no sign of anyone.

“With the three flats that were occupied, we kept the occupants inside because there was a fair bit of smoke in the stairwell. We didn’t want to expose them to smoke inhalation.”

SO Buttar continued, “People who start bin fires like this don’t realise the potential consequences and the harm they can cause.

“Smoke can kill people and it also causes the public alarm.”

A police spokesperson said the fire was under investigation and confirmed it was being treated as suspicious.

Earlier yesterday an entire block of Dundee flats had to be evacuated after fire broke out in a communal loft space.

Fire crews quickly reached the blaze at 91 Fintryside, but Station Officer Graeme Gordon said if the incident had occurred later at night the consequences could have been much worse.

They rushed to the three-storey building at 4.45 pm after a resident noticed smoke and alerted the emergency services.

SO Gordon said personnel got to the fire while it was small and extinguished the flames using a hose reel.

However, they were forced to call upon breathing apparatus and thermal imaging gear due to thick smoke and the cramped and dark confines of the affected area.

“When we arrived we discovered a small fire with a quantity of carpet underlay in the area above the common stairwell,” said SO Gordon.

“The materials had been ignited and set fire to some of the roof timbers.

“Local works were looking at the damage but it didn’t look serious, more cosmetic damage.”

Building control attended the scene to inspect the damage, though it is not thought any serious harm was done to the roof structure.

A police spokesperson said, “It appears an electrical fault was the cause of the fire.”

Anyone who was in the area at the time of the Lochee blaze or who has information that may help inquiries is asked to call the police on (01382) 223200.