Tenement blaze rescues

At 21.49 hours on Saturday 27 February 2010, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue received the first of several calls to a fire at 26 Highholm Street Port Glasgow.

A total of three appliances with 16 firefighters were mobilised from Port Glasgow and Greenock community fire stations to the fire.

On arrival fire crews were confronted with a well developed fire in the ground floor of the four storey tenement property. Some people were leaning from external windows and unable to leave their flats due to the common close being full of smoke.

Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus were deployed to extinguish the fire with hosereel jets whilst other crews performed rescues.

A total of three people were rescued by firefighters including an elderly woman and a young man who were rescued by firefighters using ladders.

A total of five casualties were treated at the scene by paramedics, four of which were taken to hospital suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by Strathclyde Fire & Rescue and Strathclyde Police.

There is no further information is available at this time.