A Scots family has been left with nothing after a blaze ripped through their flat and killed their beloved pets.
Fire crews raced to the inferno on Oxgang Road, Grangemouth, at around 12.25pm on Tuesday, January 18.
The flat, which belongs to Dawid, 38, and Magda, 32, Slomczynski and their son Artur, 12, has been left gutted by the devastating blaze.
Neighbour Toni Coates, 33, watched the scene unfold after arriving home to see smoke coming from her block of flats.
Speaking to the Daily Record, she said: "I saw smoke coming from our building and realised it was coming from the bottom flat.
"There was a man on the phone to the fire brigade, he was trying all the buzzers.
Toni, who initially thought it was a 'small fire', raced inside to shut her flat windows and bang on doors to alert her neighbours.
But the inferno quickly took hold of the flat.
"As soon as the fire brigade put the Dawid and Magda's door in, the close just filled with thick smoke.
"The windows had gone out at the back with the fire and all the flames were going up the back of the building."
Toni had watched in horror after a neighbour ran in to rescue her cat before fire crews arrived and became 'stuck in her flat' until the flames were extinguished.
Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire but three pets tragically died.
The Slomczynski family's cat Rambo and dog Kaya perished in the fire, despite firefighters' efforts to save them.
She said: "Dawid had only been out about 15 minutes shopping and their son was at school.
"He turned up about the same time as the fire brigade and tried to run in because of his dog.
"He was just shouting 'my dog is in there, my dog'. The firefighters had to stop him.
"His wife turned up after and was hysterical about the cat.
"The firefighters brought both the animals out and they were limp.
"They took the dog straight out to the back and I believe they were trying to do CPR and they tried giving the cat oxygen.
"But it was unsuccessful and they lost both their animals. It's heartbreaking, their pets were part of their family."
Toni has also been left heartbroken after one of her own cats, Lilly, died inside her flat due to suspected smoke inhalation.
The mum-of-three's home has been left badly damaged by the smoke, with thick layers of black soot covering carpets and surfaces.
"We realised quite quickly the extent of the damage. My daughter's grey carpet looks practically black. When you move stuff, you can see patches where things were sat", she said.
Toni knows all too well about the impact of a fire, having experienced a blaze in her own flat in January 2020.
She's now determined to help her neighbour's, who have been left devastated with no contents insurance, t rebuild their life.
Toni has launched a fundraiser to get them back on their feet.
Grangemouth store Second Chance has already vowed to furnish the family's home, while local shop Housecall Carpets has said they will provide flooring.
"The money we raise in the fundraiser will help them pay for clothes and all that kind of stuff. You build your life over years and they've lost everything in an instant, it's soul-destroying.
"The thought of having to start from scratch is so daunting.
"We know how devastating a fire can be, it was so raw for us, so we just want to do what we can to help", Toni said.
You can donate to the fundraiser here.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 12.25pm on Tuesday, January 18 to reports of a dwelling fire at Oxgang Road, Grangemouth.
“Operations Control mobilised three fire appliances and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting a property.
“No people were injured but one cat and one dog sadly passed away. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 12.55 pm on Tuesday, 18 January, 2022, police were called to a report of a fire at a ground floor flat in Oxgang Road, Grangemouth. No one was injured. No suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire."
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