The owner of a block of bedsits in Arbroath has spoken of his gratitude to the tenant who raised the alarm when she smelled smoke from a neighbouring property.
Thanks to her prompt action in raising the alarm, fire crews called to the first-floor bedsit at 143 High Street were able to contain the blaze in the kitchen.
Two fire appliances from Arbroath responded to the woman’s call, made at around 1.40pm on Tuesday, and a further appliance was sent to the scene from Carnoustie following reports lives could be in danger.
However, it transpired the male occupant of the bedsit was absent and all other occupants of the building were safely accounted for. Though the fire damage was limited, firefighters needed breathing apparatus to enter the smoke-filled premises.
Private landlord Scott Gillespie did not wish to identify the woman who saved his property but acknowledged she had prevented what might have been disaster.
He said, “The fire started in an oven, which seems to have been left switched on accidentally. The man who occupies the bedsit had gone off to work this morning not realising there was anything amiss but the oven had smouldered all night and eventually combusted.
“Thankfully, there had been nobody hurt and though there is smoke damage in the kitchen, the rest of the property was unaffected.”