Residents on a Perth street have hailed a “hero” who “saved their lives” when he alerted them to an early-morning fire.
People living on James Street were evacuated on Monday after the blaze took hold just before 6am.
Crews have been on the scene since, with flames seen shooting from the roof of one of the properties.
Carol Wimbury, who lives on the street, told The Courier: “A guy who was going by knocked on our door at 5.45am.
‘Passer-by saved all our lives’
“He banged on the door and shouted ‘fire’. He did the same for a lot of houses and saved all our lives.
“We’re trying to find him to give our thanks.
“He’s a local hero and without him, who knows what would’ve happened?”
Another James Street resident, who asked not to be identified, said: “We got a chap on our door at about 6am.
“A man who had been passing by saw the fire and knocked on our door to get us out.
“After that we just waited in the street as the fire engines arrived and took care of it.
“We still don’t have any water or power.
“I think I would’ve been fine in my house but we were quite close.”
Residents left without gas and electricity
A man who also lives on James Street said: “My roommate was in the shower at about 6am and the water just suddenly turned brown and started coming up through the drain.
“He woke me up and we soon found out that all the water in the house was coming out brown. The gas and electricity had gone off too.
“We opened the curtains and saw what was happening. Luckily we weren’t evacuated.
“There are some houses on the street that have taken in people who got evacuated. It’s a really friendly street so everyone basically knows each other.
“We haven’t been told whether anyone was hurt. There were ambulances here but I didn’t see anyone getting taken away.”
Lewis McAuly, 18, says several people from the area took refuge in his house as the blaze unfolded.
He said: “My step-mum invited them in because they couldn’t go back into their own houses.
“We probably had about 10 people in from three different families at one point, but I don’t think they had all been evacuated – some were extended families and people from the area.”
‘Ferocious flames were coming out the windows’
Scott Street resident Steve Black called emergency services after seeing the fire from his bedroom window.
He said: “I heard windows smashing just before 6am, then lots of voices shouting.
“I looked out and saw [the fire] coming out the window.
“Ferocious flames were coming out the bedroom windows, then starting coming out of the windows of the other bedroom.
“From what I could see, flames were coming out of at least four windows.
“I phoned the fire brigade. I don’t think I was the only one, I think other people had phoned them as well.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) says it was called at 5.48am and four appliances were at the scene.
A spokeswoman said: “We were alerted at 5.48am on Monday, 22 August to reports of a fire affecting a top floor flat within a three-storey block on James Street, Perth.
“Operations control mobilised four appliances to the scene, where crews worked to extinguish the fire and make the area safe.
“There are no reported casualties.”
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “Emergency services were in attendance following a report of a fire at a property on James Street in Perth around 6am on Monday.
“Local residents have been evacuated as a precaution.
“James Street is closed and local diversions are in place.”
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