It is thought that the fire was started by an electric blanket in the property. A female in her seventies escaped the fire, but sadly her cat died.
A spokeswoman for the Service said: “The resident was very lucky to escape from the property, the consequences could have been much worse. Sadly, the lady’s cat died in the fire, however people should never put themselves in danger to rescue their pets. At the first sign of fire you should get out, stay out and call the fire service.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to remind people to ensure they have a smoke alarm correctly installed in their home, and that the Service offers to install a free smoke alarm with batteries as part of our Home Safety Visit scheme, which is open to all residents in the area.”
To find out more about the Service’s Home Safety Visits or to arrange a visit call free on 0800 169 0320 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0800 169 0320 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. For advice on fire safety in the home visit www.lbfire.org.uk
In a separate incident, a female in her fifties was taken to hospital in the early hours of Tuesday morning after being rescued by the Fire Service from the hallway of her first floor flat on Academy Street in Edinburgh.
Three fire engines and a height appliance attended the fire which, it is suspected, started in a pan of food in the kitchen. Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued the woman and extinguished the fire using one hose reel. The occupant suffered slight smoke inhalation.
