Fire terror as Inverness family and dog flee blaze in their first floor flat
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A FAMILY fled for their lives after a blaze broke out in their Inverness flat shortly before 5am today. (Tuesday)
A mother and her two teenage sons managed to get out the first floor house wearing just what they had on their backs before the flames took hold.
They managed to rescue the family pet dog, but two cats died trying to hide from the heat and smoke.
Ashley McIvor was wakened by loud banging and discovered a fuse board in the hall area sparking and alight.
Mrs McIver said: "I was in bed but couldn't sleep for some reason and it is just as well I couldn't. I heard loud bangs and got up.
"Ruben was awake and I asked him if he made the noise and he said he hadn't.
"I was going to check the neighbours when the power went off and Ruben ran down to put in the key for more electricity and found flames at the electrical box in the cupboard below the stairs.
"I managed to get Aizak wakened and he phoned 999. We were told to get out and wait in the stair, but then we heard the windows on one side of the flat exploding with the heat so we were told to get right outside.
"Smoke was pouring out the windows."
Mrs McIver, 43) added: "We have lost virtually everything, stuff the boys got for Christmas, their school clothes, shoes, the lot. We got out just in our pyjamas. A neighbour gave us shoes to put on."
Mrs McIver said that after being homeless for a while some years ago and having a temporary place in Dalneigh, they moved to Old Town Road in 2016 and it was to be "Their forever home."
She is liaising with Highland Council over temporary accommodation, but in the meantime she has been given shelter in her mother's pensioner cottage nearby.
Mrs McIver's has two grown up daughters Tai (24) in theatre in London and Mia (21) a student in Perth who was able to come home to help.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said they received the alert at 5.02am and sent two units to the first floor flat.
Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went inside and fought the fire and extinguished the fire using hose reel within 40 minutes.
Local people said it was fortunate the fire did not spread to neighbouring flats, especially at that time of night.
Now an online appeal Gofundme has been launched to help the family who have lost everything in the fire according to neighbours
The appeal states: "Ashley, Aizak (16) and Ruben (15) have just lost everything due to a devastating fire in their home.
"They got out with the clothes on their back and the dog and that is all. Unfortunately the cats didn’t make it.
Everything is gone. We are raising money to help get the essentials for them.
Please please help if you can."
