Lucky escape after flat is set ablaze

Dec 24 2008 by Richard Mooney

A BLAZE at flats in Hamilton was started deliberately.

The ground-floor property, in Hamilton Place, appeared to have been broken into before being torched.

Firefighters evacuated the occupants of the three flats above the blazing rooms.

They were out of their homes for 35 minutes as the fire crews battled to bring the flames under control.

The occupant of the flat hit by the fire was visiting relatives in Larkhall when the fire occurred at about 4.20am on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Chief Inspector Tom Aitken, of Hamilton Police, said no one had been hurt during the incident.

He added, however: “We are treating the fire as suspicious.

“Although the door into the flat was secure, a window was found to be open and it is thought someone either entered or left via the window and a fire was started in the living room.”

The ground-floor flat was badly damaged but there are no reports of damage to the properties above.

Detective sergeant Craig Willison of Hamilton CID appealed for witnesses and added: “The action of those responsible for this crime could have had devastating consequences. The residents from the flats are very lucky that the fire was extinguished quickly.”

Adele Dixon, a young mum who stays next door to the fire-damaged flat, was chatting to pals in her home when the drama started.

“A neighbour came down about 4am and I smelt smoke and she told me the house was on fire,” she said.

“We went out and I saw fire crews, ambulance and police right down the street.

“It was a terrible shock; the whole house was in flames, but to be honest in a close like this anything can happen.

“I’ve been trying to get out of here for a year now.”

Adele said her child had been staying with relatives at the time of the fire. She added, however, that there was a mum with a new-born child living above the torched flat.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said “I was woken by banging and doors being booted in.

“I don’t usually get up because there is that much noise in here anyway.

“There’s wee boys out smashing windows all the time and there are always parties going on.

“That night there were loads of folk in the flats partying, so imagine if that fire had spread to the rest of building; those people could all be dead.”

And the fed-up resident added: “The best thing they could do is probably knock these flats down.

“In the past decade this area’s gone right downhill.

“They tell us to phone the police or council but it’s as if nobody’s interested.”

l Information on the incident to Hamilton Police, telephone 01698 483300.