Firefighters rescue man and woman in Maryhill tenement blaze

Crews battle severe heat and dense smoke at well developed fire

MORE THAN 20 firefighters battled severe heat and dense smoke this morning, to rescue occupants from a house fire in Maryhill.

Crews from Maryhill and Knightswood community fire stations were mobilised to Maryhill's Acre Drive at around 3.00am this morning following reports of fire in the ground-floor of a four storey tenement building. Within minutes firefighters arrived at the scene to find that there were people still trapped within the blazing property.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the burning building with hosereel jets and quickly rescued a man and a woman who were suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. Both casualties were treated at the scene by firefighters before being taken by ambulance to the Western Infirmary for further treatment.

Crews still inside the building led another six people, including four children, to safety, before passing them into the care of waiting paramedics who took them by ambulance to Yorkhill Hospital for precautionary checks.

Once the blaze was extinguished, crews used ventilation equipment to clear smoke from the property.

The cause of the fire will now be subject to a full investagion by Strathclyde Police and SFR's Incident Research & Investigation Section.