By Graham Huband and Steven Bell

EIGHT PEOPLE were lucky to escape with their lives after two fires were deliberately started in the common close of a tenement in Dundee city centre early yesterday morning.

Four second-floor residents of the Union Street building were forced to take a life-or-death decision after finding themselves trapped between seats of fire on the first and third floors.

The foursome eventually decided to squeeze past the flames on the third-floor landing and they escaped through an attic flat to the roof where they were rescued by firefighters using an aerial ladder platform.

Four other occupants managed to make their way to safety prior to the arrival of fire crews at 12.30 am.

In total, four people were taken to hospital for treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation.

One of the victims also suffered serious glass cuts after being injured whilst climbing out a shattered window.

The fire response was hampered by a malicious call to an alarm sounding at nearby Dundee Railway Station that diverted two appliances away from the scene.

Tayside Fire and Rescue Service group manager Stewart Edgar said it was only luck that had prevented the incident ending in multiple fatalities.

He said, “I cannot stress enough—these people were extremely lucky. I have seen incidents like this ending in really bad consequences for the occupants.

“If this was an elderly person then I very much doubt they would have been able to climb out on to the roof space. The Green Watch from Macalpine Road and Kingsway East did a fantastic job—I cannot praise them enough.

“There were four people rescued from the roof and four removed from the building. Nobody suffered burns but four did have smoke inhalation and one guy was quite badly cut as he escaped through a broken window.”

Mr Edgar said the simultaneous call to Dundee Railway Station—where a glass fire alarm unit had been deliberately smashed—could have cost lives. However, he stressed units were on scene within four minutes of the alarm being raised.

He said, “The first responders (to Union Street) would be from Blackness Road. However, Blackness Road fire station were tied up at the rail station and we had two fire engines taken out of use.

“We had to get fire engines from Kingsway East and Macalpine Road and obviously we were dealing with life- threatening issues down at Union Street.”

A joint investigation involving Tayside Police detectives, a forensics team and fire service experts was launched at the scene.

Detective Inspector Willie Semple said last night, “The forensic inquiry has really progressed and we are doing an extensive CCTV review.

“We can’t really say the cause as yet. A forensic team is going down and there will be a joint investigation by Tayside Police and the fire service.”

Anyone with information that may assist police with their inquiries can contact them on Dundee 223200 or anonymously on Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.