28 Jul 2014
The safety benefits of keeping communal closes clear have been underscored following a fire in a Scottish flats complex.
Ladders were used to rescue four people. The blaze in McPherson Crescent in the North Lanarkshire village of Chapelhall happened on Monday just after midnight (July 28).
The fire reportedly began in a communal close entrance area after a couch caught alight, causing large bursts of smoke which affected many flats above.
Tom Sinton, manager at Bellshill fire HQ, says that communal close fires are sometimes “extremely frightening” for residents because they can block off any means of escaping.
Mr Sinton stresses the importance of removing all potential blockages from such closes as they can catch fire or block residents escaping.
He urges people who see an accumulation of items in such communal thoroughfares to report them right away.
Paramedics checked two children and two women.
One woman was ferried to hospital for precautionary tests.
Copyright Press Association 2014