An Edinburgh bar worker kindly opened his doors to dozens of residents left shell-shocked after their block of flats burst into flames on Wednesday.
The blaze broke out at Craigievar House on Craigmount Brae just after 3pm, with worried locals quickly spotting thick black smoke pouring from the building.
Jim Aitken, who works in the Mid Yoken pub next to the building where the fire took place, said some people thought it was the popular drinking spot that was evacuated by brave firefighters.
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Over 40 flats were . Though some were still reported missing until several hours after the incident took place, all are now thankfully accounted for. Several locals have reported that the building was still smouldering into the early hours of Thursday morning.
With so many people displaced and in distress, the Mid Yoken quickly became a place of refuge. The pub’s lounge is usually reserved for functions, but Jim says he was quick to unlock the doors and allow people a place of comfort amid the chaos.
It was here that families waited to find out where they would be sleeping for the night, with those at the top of the block fearing all their belongings had been completely destroyed by the blaze.
It is also understood that significant water damage has hit flats further down the building due to the sheer volume of water firefighters had to use to control the flames.
These firefighters, as well as their colleagues in the police who raced to the scene in numbers following reports of the fire, were also looked after in Mid Yoken by Jim and the team, while representatives of housing charity Places for People sorted distressed residents into hotels for the time being.
Jim told Edinburgh Live: “I got a text from one of my pals telling me the pub was on fire. You can see why they thought that when you just see all the smoke and the flames in the air.
“It was chaos, to be honest. Obviously, some people were out at work and there was real fears that they’d left their pets at home for the day. As far as I understand, the fire brigade were able to get everyone out and they did it quickly.
“Usually we don’t open the lounge unless we have a function, but it just made sense to give people somewhere to go. Some of them have lost absolutely everything. Completely gone. And some of them have no idea what they have left and when they’ll be able to find out. It’s awful.
“It sounds like the water damage is really bad because of how much they had to use. Flats soaked right the way through. You have to feel for people. They were in here upset and they’ve all been taken to hotels for now.
“It’s hard to tell in terms of numbers because people were coming and going all night. It kept fluctuating, but we had lots of people coming in and the firefighters and police were sorted out too. I’ll get us open early today in case they need anything.”
Locals in the area are still in disbelief, with many stopping to talk outside the scene to ask police and firefighters if their neighbours are all safe. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have confirmed to Edinburgh Live that two residents have been passed on to the Scottish Ambulance service.
The community is banding together in support of those affected by the fire, which hasn’t surprised long-time local Jim.
He added: “Another pal told me he was starting a GoFundMe at 8am this morning, and within a few hours it was already over £350. God knows what it’s at now!
“It’s great to see everyone come together, you have to in times like this. There’s good folk round here, so aye, hopefully everyone’s alright soon and we can help us much as we can.”
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