The family of legendary Dundee musician Billy Mackenzie have expressed their sadness at the loss of another son.
Melissa Cochrane (27), a teacher who lives on the bottom floor of the building in Mary Slessor Square, heard the screams coming from the flat as the rescue attempt was made.
“At first I thought it was somebody trying to kick my own door down because it was so loud,” she said. “I wasn’t sure what it was because there has been bother in here before with people throwing furniture out of the windows.
“I didn’t smell any fire but when the fire engine came I thought I was going to have to get out.”
Neighbour Adele Elder (27), who works for the NHS, lives two floors below the flat and was woken up by the sound of banging.
She said, “It happens a lot from up above so I didn’t think anything about it until I smelled the smoke coming into my own flat. There was a really loud banging and crashing sound.
“I took my house phone out in the hall and was about to phone the police when I saw the fire brigade arriving.
“Nobody was evacuated. I think they must have put it out quite quickly.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire between police and Tayside Fire and Rescue is under way.
And tributes have been paid to Mr Mackenzie on a Facebook page set up to celebrate the life of his brother Billy.
Tanya Robertson wrote, “So sad to hear of Johnny Mackenzie’s death. My heart goes out to the poor Mackenzie family which has already had so much sadness.”
John Patrick Mackenzie (46) died after a serious fire at his home in Mary Slessor Square early on Friday morning.
Alerted by his screams, neighbours tried to rescue Mr Mackenzie from his one-bedroom flat at around 1.30am. Thick, toxic smoke meant that they, and police officers, were unable to enter the property.
Firefighters from Blackness Road and Kingsway East fire stations arrived a short time later and, using breathing apparatus to enter the flat, found Mr Mackenzie lying unconscious in the living room. He was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to Ninewells Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
On Friday night his family issued a brief statement that read, “We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of John Patrick Mackenzie, a beloved father, brother and uncle.
“John was a beloved and charismatic person, who will be greatly missed by the many family and friends he leaves behind. We would greatly appreciate to be left alone to deal with our grief in private at this very difficult time.”
The tragedy is the latest to befall the Mackenzie family after Billy took his own life in 1997 in the wake of his mother’s death. He was said to be severely depressed at the time he overdosed on a combination of drugs in his father’s garden shed in Auchterhouse.
Billy’s younger brother Jimmy also died of a drug overdose days after being released from prison, four years after his brother’s death.
Speaking after the fire, Tayside Fire and Rescue group manager Martin Tait said, “The police informed us there was somebody in the flat so additional appliances were requested and we sent firefighters in with breathing apparatus.
“A single male occupant was removed from the living room area and police and firefighters administered first aid until the ambulance arrived.
“The fire was isolated to the bedroom of the one-bedroom property. The man certainly wasn’t trapped as the door between the hallway and living room was open.”
Dundee Sheriff Court bar officer Liz Cairns was driving along Victoria Road when she saw neighbours attempt to rescue Mr Mackenzie.
She said, “In the headlights of the car I could see slight wisps of smoke and stopped. At first I wasn’t sure if there was a fire but you could smell smoke and it was only when I went to the security door and saw a wall of smoke inside that I dialled 999.
“A man came running out of the block of flats shouting something about a house on fire as I was speaking to fire control. He started trying to kick the door in and control told me to tell him to stop.
“I saw a young guy who I think had kicked the door in and got in but he had to come out coughing and was lying on the pavement suffering from smoke inhalation.”