Perth youngsters rushed to the aid of neighbours after a serious fire tore through a tenement block in the city’s Letham area, injuring a mother and her baby.
The teens raised the alarm, helped residents clamber from lower-floor windows and even directed traffic out of the path of emergency vehicles.
After firefighters gained control of the blaze, the injured pair were treated by paramedics suffering from smoke inhalation, but did not require hospital admission.
The pair were among a number of residents who were forced to huddle in their homes in Newhouse Road as flames tore through their stairwell and thick black smoke blocked their escape.
The drama began at around 5.40pm on Friday when residents, including friends Carlie McIntosh, Paige Guild and Natasha Morrison, heard what they described as an explosion.
Carlie, 16, said: “I live opposite and we were just standing talking when we heard a big bang.
“When we looked across the road we could see that the windows had blown out and there was smoke pouring out. We all raced down the stairs shouting ‘fire’ all the time. I called the fire brigade.
“By the time we got out into the street we could see flames bursting out of the windows like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“We bolted across the street and just started to bang on all the doors in the neighbouring blocks to get people out.”
Joined by neighbours they alerted residents of adjacent properties and then helped people climb from the windows of the lower flats.
Firefighters were soon on the scene and they swiftly called for backup, such was the severity of the fire.
Residents on upper floors were advised to stay indoors and told to block doors with dampened towels to prevent smoke from gaining entry.
Crews from Perth were joined in tackling the fire by those from Dundee and Dunkeld, while senior officers also arrived to oversee the operation.
The fire burned fiercely and briefly and locals praised crews for gaining control so quickly.
It was largely extinguished by 6.30pm, with firefighters clearing rubbish to prevent the fire from reigniting.
Joined by paramedics they were then able to attend to those still within the block.
Police Scotland has launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.
