Tag: Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service

Man rescued from water at Gypsy Brae

A 43 year old man has been rescued after getting into difficulty while trying to rescue a dog that had swum out to sea.

The man became stranded on rocks in the Firth of Forth at Cramond, behind the old Commodore Hotel early on Sunday morning.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said they received a call-out just after 10am.

The Fire Service used a drop to guid the man to safety. (Picture: Robert Pearson)

By the time fire crews arrived on the scene the dog, believed to be a Gordon setter, had swam back to the shore, but the man was trapped on the rocks.

He was rescued using a rope and checked over by an ambulance crew at the scene.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said the man did not require hospital treatment.

Second deliberate stair fire in Granton area

A man and a woman had to be treated for smoke inhalation after a suspected deliberate stair fire yesterday afternoon. This comes just a week after a fire which resulted in a three month old baby being taken to hospital.

Two engines from Crewe Toll and a height appliance were mobilised to West Granton Road at 12.19pm after reports of a building alight.

On arrival firefighters discovered a fire in the ground floor of the common stair within a three-storey tenement property. Four firefighters in breathing apparatus and using a high pressure hose reel extinguished the blaze and vented the building for smoke.

A man aged 24 and a woman aged 27 from one of the top floor flats had to be checked over by ambulance crews at the scene.

Lothian Borders Fire & Rescue Service’s Fire Investigation Unit and Police were called due to suspicion the fire was started deliberately.

The Council and Scottish Gas were also contacted about heat and smoke damage in the common areas.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said:

“Early indications suggest this fire may have been started deliberately. Fortunately no-one was seriously hurt but there was noticeable damage to the common stair area.

“If you live in a property with a common stair and shared areas please be a good neighbour and do what you can to prevent this type of incident. Always make sure main doors leading to flats are kept locked. Don’t let strangers into common stairs. Never stored combustibles in a common stairway. They can be attractive to deliberate fire setters. Rubbish can also block exits in a emergency and burning materials will produce a lot of toxic smoke putting residents at risk of smoke inhalation.

“If you discover a fire and it is safe to do so, get out, stay out and call us out by dialling 999 and asking for ‘Fire’. If your stairwell is full of smoke it may be safer to stay inside your property and call 999. Fire control will give expert fire survival advice until fire crews arrive to help you. They will make sure firefighters know where to find you and they will tell you when it is safe to leave your property.”

For more fire safety advice, including how to make an escape plan for your home or what to do if trapped by fire, you can visit our website at www.lbfire.org.uk

Woman and baby taken to hospital after suspicious fire in Granton

A 28-year-old woman and her three-month-old baby girl were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for a check-up after a deliberate fire in Granton this morning.

Firefighters from McDonald Road and Crewe Toll fire stations responded shortly before 11.30am after a report of a building alight in Royston Mains Gardens.

When crews arrived, they discovered the back door and rubbish to the rear of the three-storey property well alight and the common stair filled with smoke.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and checked out all the neighbouring flats to ensure no one was unaccounted for.

The woman and her baby were lead to safety by firefighters before being taken by ambulance to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Crews left the scene at 1pm.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: “Initial investigations suggest that rubbish which had been stored at the back door was deliberately set alight. This led to the door catching fire and the common stair filling with smoke.

“This would have been a very frightening experience for householders. Fortunately, firefighters were on site quickly and were able to help residents out of the building before extinguishing the blaze.

“We can’t stress enough the importance of keeping common areas free from junk and rubbish. It’s an attractive target for firesetters and can put people at risk of deliberate set fires.”

Emergency services open day this weekend

 

Blue Green light for McDonald Road event!

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the annual emergency services open day on Saturday (4 August). Hosted by Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service at McDonald Road fire station, the free day out is one of the most popular in our events calendar.

Firefighter Neil Bertram, one of the event organisers, said: “The emergency services open day is always a great day out and it’s free! Last year we had more than 700 people through our doors at McDonald Road. This year the station will be open from 11am until 3.30pm.

“The Police, Scottish Ambulance Service and Coastguard will also be represented on the day. It’s a great opportunity to come along, see an operational station and find out more about the emergency services and the role they play in keeping communities safe.

“From our side we will have fire appliances on display.  The height appliance will be working throughout the event, our community safety vehicle (CSV) will also be used and staff from our Community Safety Function will be on hand to give advice about fire safety and answer questions from the public.  The training centre will be carrying out extinguisher and fire blanket demonstrations.  They will also provide access to the Breathing Apparatus (BA) pod to allow people to get a taste of navigating in zero visibility to rescue a casualty.

“We also hope to raise some money for two very special charities, The Fire Fighters Charity who are dedicated to helping firefighters, fire personnel and their families in their hour of need and Hillview Respite, a local initiative which provides residential respite care for disabled children in Edinburgh. Both charities will be running stalls on the day to raise funds.

“Hopefully the weather will be kind to us on the day and we would urge people to pop along for what promises to be a fun family day out.”

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service

Extreme weather safety advice from Lothian Fire and Rescue Service

Firefighters and control room operators faced a busy weekend as much of the Lothians and Borders experienced torrential rain showers and several flood warnings were in place.

With the rain looking set to continue, Alex Hume, Community Safety Group Commander for the Service said: “The extreme weather has been keeping the emergency services across the country very busy, and our crews are no exception. Our firefighters are trained to perform rescues in flood situations and have done so commendably over the past days. The Service’s control room personnel have also coped well handling an increased volume of calls.

“As the rain continues to fall, we would advise residents to follow our flood safety advice. Avoid entering floodwater whenever possible, whether you are in your vehicle or on foot, as there may be hazards you can’t see such as displaced manhole covers, and it’s almost impossible to tell how deep the water gets. Try to avoid contact with floodwater as it could be contaminated with sewage and bear in mind, electricity passes easily through water. For further advice please visit our website: www.lbfire.org.uk.”

Fire crews tackle Muirhouse blaze

Firefighters spent two hours battling a fire in a derelict building in Muirhouse Avenue last night.

Three fire appliances from Crewe Toll attended the incident after the alarm was raised at 9.20pm. Crews discovered a fire in the ground floor of the derelict domestic property and two firefighters in breathing apparatus used high-pressure hose reels to tackle the blaze.

The fire spread to the first floor, but was put out with a high-pressure hose reel and crews using a short extension ladder. Following further safety inspections and damping down fire crews  left at 11pm.

The Muirhouse Avenue building is one of two due for demolition as part of the Muirhouse Pennywell regeneration programme.

Weekend fire in West Pilton flat

Fire crews were called out to a fire in the kitchen of a flat in West Pilton Gardens, Edinburgh on Saturday evening.

Two fire engines and a height appliance attended the incident, caused by a cooker catching fire, after the call came in at 8.22pm. Two firefighters entered the ground floor flat in the three-storey block and extinguished the fire using a CO2 extinguisher and a high-pressure hose reel.

An ambulance attended and paramedics checked over a 20-year-old male, 19-year-old female and a 10-month-old baby, but none of the occupants required hospital treatment.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service

Local firefighters get on their bikes for Oaklands

A team of local firefighters will set out to cycle the length of the country to raise funds for Oaklands School this week. The officers from Crewe Toll’s White Watch plan to pedal from Lands End to John o’ Groats – a distance of 845 miles – over nine gruelling days.

The firefighters hope their efforts will raise enough sponsorship money to purchase at least one specialised Petra Running Bike, which give children a totally new experience of freedom when they use them, for the school.

David Dourley, who was White Watch commander, explained: “We have a team of ten cyclists, plus two support drivers who are retired colleagues, and we set off down south on Thursday. We decided to support Oaklands because we have a very good working relationship with the school – being on Ferry Road it’s very close to the Fire station and we’re regular visitors. Some of the children and young people at Oaklands have severe and complex additional support needs and we know the staff do a really fantastic job here. When we heard Oaklands needed support to raise money for these amazing bikes we were delighted to offer our services. I hope we’re all still feeling the same way after the trip!’

Colleague Ali McKay added: ‘We’ve got all levels of experience in the team – some guys cycle regularly, while one of our blokes only bought a bike a couple of weeks ago! We’ve been training, but none of us have done anything like this before – eight to ten hours per day for nine days – so it will be a real challenge. It’s for a great cause though and we’re really looking forward to it – honestly!’

Good luck, White Watch. We’ll let you know how the guys get on.

Don't let smoking be your downfall

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service are wishing good luck to all the smokers giving up today, National No Smoking Day, and reminding them of the very real risks of an accidental fire if you smoke or drink alcohol at home.

A significant number of the fatal fires in the past year have been caused by smokers’ materials, and alcohol consumption has also played a part in many cases.

Community Safety Manager Geoff Aird said: “In many incidents where cigarettes start a fire, it is entirely preventable. Avoid smoking in bed, make sure cigarettes are extinguished properly and take extra care smoking if you have been drinking alcohol. Under the influence of alcohol, you will be slower to react if fire breaks out. A few simple safety measures when smoking can prevent fires from happening.

‘Just a few months ago we highlighted this danger, after seven out of eight fatal fires in the first ten months of last year were caused by a cigarette. We have had a number of fatalities since with similar circumstances. If you do smoke, we urge you to avoid smoking in the home, especially if you have had an alcoholic drink – your reactions are slower and it can so easily end in tragedy for you and your family.

“Whether you smoke or not, a working smoke detector in your home provides essential protection from fire and could save your life one day. To arrange a home safety visit where firefighters will fit a free alarm, call free on 0800 169 0320.”

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service