23rd February 12 
BLAZE DRAMA . . . a fire officer outside the damaged house at Newbie, Annan
Three escape house blaze
A SUDDEN blaze at a house near Annan saw one man injured and his family forced to flee the flames.
And as John and Carol Lynch recover from the fire at Three Trees Road in Newbie, they say their thoughts are with their injured cat which shot out of the building on fire.
Carol, 49, said: “It’s horrific. The fire was really quick, with big flames, and the front door went in minutes.”
However, she added: “We’re alive, so we’re lucky. It could have been a lot worse.”
The blaze started at 5 pm on Sunday January 22, as a cigarette held by Carol’s husband John ignited chainsaw fuel stored in the hallway of the terraced home.
He was badly burned on his arm and his hand and needed hospital treatment.
She added: “The last thing I can remember seeing was John’s jumper sleeves and hand on fire.”
Carol and John fled out the back door, while John’s 17-year-old daughter Becca, who had retreated upstairs, was forced to clamber to safety via a ladder to a second storey window.
And two Annan fire crews who arrived at the scene turned pet rescuers -- as Giggsy suddenly emerged from the blazing building.
Carol said: “He was on fire, so Shelly next door put a bucket of water over him and the firemen had their hoses round him, dowsing him.”
Praising the fire crew’s efforts, neighbour Neil Carson said: “They must have spent 30 minutes on it. They had oxygen masks on it.”
Ten-year-old ginger tom Giggsy is still under the care of vets, and Carol said: “He’s still touch-and-go. I just hope he makes it.”
The family are now staying with relatives.
Speaking as she revisited the ruined DGHP property, Carol added: “I don’t know how any of us managed to get out of it alive.”
An investigation has been launched.
But Nithsdale station manager Craig McGoldrik said: “We don’t think there’s been any malicious intent. We think it’s been careless storing of fuel inside and smoking within the house, but that will be confirmed later.”
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