Highholm Street residents' terror at Port Glasgow flats fire

Fire starters set a close on Highholm Street ablaze, resulting in people being displaced in the early hours of last Friday morning - and a criminal investigation has now been launched.

Two other smaller blazes were also set in rear garden areas and Inverclyde police commander, Chief Inspector Damian Kane, said the incident 'could easily have led to fatalities'.

Belle Deans stays on the ground floor of the building (Image: George Munro)

Belle Deans, who has lived in her property on the now-blackened bottom floor of the block for around four years, said her initial reaction was one of 'absolute panic' before she managed to exit the building and phone emergency services at 1.30am.

She told the Telegraph: "I heard a clattering in the close, I thought somebody had fallen down the stairs.

"My friend who was staying here opened the door and black smoke just poured into the house.

"He went out and tried to put the fire out and told me to go out the back with the dog and phone the fire brigade.

"Nobody could get out until the fire got put out. It was scary."

Traumatised Belle, 40, said she was just about to go to bed when the flames took hold at the main entrance.

"It started so quietly," she said, "because my dog barks, she's a good guard dog, she would've heard something but they did it very sneakily. We didn't see or hear anything."

Belle, who compared her close to the scene of a 'bomb going off', has had to move in with a friend and sleep on his sofa for the time being after being offered a 'duvet and an interview room' at the Inverclyde Centre, with an estimated return date as yet unknown.

However, she said the terrifying ordeal has made her consider relocating.

The block on Highholm Street is home to eight flats (Image: George Munro)

She said: "We've never had to deal with something like that; it was really, really scary.

"It definitely could've led to fatalities, especially if my friend hadn't been here that night. He put the fire out mostly before the fire brigade even got here.

"Everybody had their boilers on and stuff like that, so if that fire had spread it would've just put the whole block up.

"I think I'll be looking for somewhere else once I do get back in here. It doesn't seem very safe any more.

"I still want to stay in the area, I love staying in the area, but I just don't want anything like that to ever happen again.

"We're very lucky that it wasn't worse."

READ MORE: Homes evacuated after early morning blazes as police slam 'despicable' firestarters

Another elderly resident, who also stays in the block of eight flats, said he was carried down the stairs by a firefighter and has not been back inside his home since.

He said: "I was sitting on the couch watching the telly. I knew nothing about it, then my fire alarm went off, so I thought I'd left something on in the kitchen.

"But I looked in the kitchen and there was no smoke and I opened my door and by that time all the smoke was passing my door and I started coughing."

Police said extensive enquiries are ongoing in the Port Glasgow area to trace whoever is responsible and detectives are now speaking to people in the local community and gathering CCTV footage from in and around the area.

Anyone able to assist CID in their investigation is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 0196 of February 23.

Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.