Fire in our Highrise

This morning I smelt a disgusting stink when getting up, quickly dismissing it as “the kids have set the rubbish chute on fire – NOT AGAIN.  So I wasn’t too alarmed when three firetrucks pulled up in front of the house. But quickly it turned out to be much more, as the ladder was brought up and the firemen wore gas masks and oxygen bottles, and the smell became more, not less intense.

fire brigade in front of Fidra Court
fire brigade in front of Fidra Court

We got a bit more alarmed when a fireman on his ladder rushed by in front of our window on the way up.

fireman

The rectangular squares are part of the anti-pigeon netting, obviously 😉  .

Anyways, the firemen knocked on our door several times and asked us to stay indoors, open the windows and the balcony doors and if we are all okay.  I asked where the fire was and was told it was on the ground floor, but still, they are all zooming around here as if there would be something more going on in the upper regions of our little 14 storey skyscraper.

fireladder

At the moment – a few hours after the first signs of the fire – the fire brigade still are around and seem to check that nobody passed out or got too affected by smoke inhalation. It seems they are breaking into a flat upstairs at the moment – I can hear the noise.  There will be more detailed reports in the papers later I assume, as there were quite some press photographers around.

firelorries

Comments

Comment by ulla on 2009-11-24 18:00:39 +0100

Article in the Edinburgh Evening News about the Fire:
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Police-probe-highrise-fire.5829887.jp

Apparently, according to the concierge, the rubbish and discarded old furniture in the foyer was set on fire (arson) and there was concern that one of the main electric cables leading to lift and stair lightening would have been damaged so that’s why the communal electricity was off.

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