Residents were evacuated out of the second and third-floor windows of a block of flats in the Lochee area of Dundee when firefighters were called to a blaze in a ground-floor flat.
Six people from the flats in Kirk Street were taken to safety by fire crews using the aerial platform from Macalpine Road.
Another person from the home adjoining the flat at number 57, where the blaze began, was led to safety.
Two appliances from Macalpine Road, two from Blackness Road, the aerial platform and the command support unit from Kingsway East were called to the fire shortly after 11pm on Monday after residents on the top-floor flat alerted the fire and rescue service.
Station manager Craig Thomson said, “Smoke detectors operating in the block gave them an early indication. The top-floor flat was filling up with smoke.
“Our control room was able to give them fire survival advice until we got here.”
The residents were told to gather by the window in a room at the front of the block, keep the doors closed and be ready to make contact with the fire brigade.
The flat where the blaze broke out was unoccupied at the time and the police and fire brigade are trying to establish the whereabouts of the tenant.
Mr Thomson said, “We’re doing a joint investigation with the police. We will release the results of that in the fullness of time.”
None of the evacuated residents needed hospital treatment but they were all checked over by the ambulance service for smoke inhalation. Police then led them to an adjoining building for shelter while they waited to get back into their homes.
Stuart Clarke, a museum attendant who works at the observatory, had been looking forward to an early night when he heard banging and his second-floor flat started filling with smoke.
“I smelt smoke so I woke up my flatmate Carys and my son Adam,” he said. “We shut the doors and put blankets along the bottoms. The fire brigade were here so quickly though.”
The three were among those taken out of their front room window on the aerial platform.
Stuart said, “I’ve been on one before when I worked for the Frigate Unicorn so it was perfectly safe. The guys know what they’re doing.
“My son was saying, ‘I wish Spider-man was coming,’ but I said, ‘The real heroes are coming now.’
“When you are in a smoky flat with your son you’re just so happy to get out. I was a bit frightened, though.”
There was severe damage to the living room where the blaze started and the fire brigade did some cutting away to see if there was any fire spread.
There was slight smoke damage to the rest of the flats.
Mr Thomson added, “The fact that the smoke detectors operated again gave the residents an early warning to the fire in the block.
“Tayside Fire and Rescue carry out fire home safety visits. We will fit smoke detectors free of charge to any home within Tayside.”
Free home fire safety visits can be arranged by calling 0300 1239998 or texting “check” to 61611.
Firefighters led all the residents back into their homes after 1am.