An Edinburgh dad has told of the horror moment he jumped 20ft from his flat balcony as a fire ripped through the building.
Andrew Bond, 36, hurled himself from the balcony and dived onto a mattress below after the blaze broke out on Niddrie Mills Crescent on Thursday, November 6 at around 6.30pm. Andrew’s partner Maureen and his cousin William were rescued by firefighters. Thankfully, their two children, aged 12 and four, were staying with family.
Speaking about what happened, Andrew, 36, said he first noticed the flat was getting very dark and knew he needed to get out. His neighbour, Stewart Henderson, 63, helped drag an old mattress under the balcony for him to jump on.
Andrew told Edinburgh Live: “I first thought the fire alarm was just from someone cooking. I didn’t think anything of it until I heard people shouting. I walked out of the door and the whole stairwell was black.
“I went back inside and shouted to Maureen and William to get to the balcony. And I jumped.”
He added: “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through in my life. When I came down, the paramedics rushed over and gave out oxygen. I was pure white, I felt like I was going to faint.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to the firefighters for putting their lives at risk. The paramedics did a great job too with such a quick response.”
However, the thought of returning back to their home has left the young family in fear. He said: “Even now going into the flat scares us. We have two young children, what if it happens again when they are home? I was petrified.
“It’s really shaken everyone up. We were lucky to get out the way we did.”
Ten people were rushed to hospital and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were there until 10.17pm. Police remain at the scene.
The Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 6.37pm on Wednesday, November 6 to attend an incident on Niddrie Mill Crescent, Edinburgh. We dispatched multiple resources to the scene, including four ambulances and 3 special operations response teams (SORT). We transported 10 patients to Royal Infirmary Edinburgh.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted 6.35pm on Wednesday to reports of a dwelling fire at Niddrie Mill Crescent, Edinburgh.
“Operations Control mobilised three fire appliances and one height vehicle and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting a ground floor flat within a three-storey block of flats. A number of casualties were in the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service and received treatment at the scene. Crews left at 10.17pm after ensuring the area was made safe.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6.40pm on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 we were called to a fire at a block of flats in Niddrie Mill Crescent in Edinburgh. Officers remain at the scene and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
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