A Scots mum has been left ‘haunted’ after losing everything she owns in a fierce blaze which was deliberately set outside her home.
Lee-Anne Davis was sitting in the bedroom of her top-floor flat on Saturday evening when she began to smell smoke inside her property.
The 40-year-old went downstairs to investigate before finding flames licking through the air vent in the kitchen of the flat in Blackburn, West Lothian.
She tried to flee the property through the front door but discovered the exit had been blocked with items that had deliberately been set on fire.
The mum-of-four was forced to lie on her son's bedroom floor as she choked on the thick, black smoke while waiting for fire crews to save her.
She managed to escape physically unharmed, along with all her pets, but Lee-Anne has been left with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Her home was completely destroyed, with every room in the property charred by the flames.
Her and her 19-year-old son are now homeless and seeking refuge with family members as they try to come to terms with the terrifying attack.
Daughter Keavey Davis said: “Mum’s absolutely distraught and has barely slept because she’s petrified even thinking about what happened and how lucky she is to have got out.
“She’s sitting in the same clothes she was wearing yesterday because she and my brother have lost absolutely everything they owned.
“She’s going to be haunted by this for the rest of her life.
“The fire was started on the side landing but the people who set it brought some of the stuff that was on fire and put it underneath her window.
“That’s how it got through her kitchen vent. This is a targeted attack - it doesn't take a genius to realise how dangerous that is.
“They blocked my mum's only way out of the house. When she tried to open her front door, she was just hit by smoke and fire.
“She was told to run upstairs to the bedroom and to lie on the floor to wait for the fire service to come.
“She couldn’t see or breathe because of the smoke. She heard the firemen shouting to her to shout out so they could find her.
“One of them grabbed her and put his mask on her and one on her dog as well. My mum has three cats as well and one was found unresponsive in the kitchen.
“Thankfully the firemen managed to get her breathing again and brought her back round. She’s got two birds as well but they also managed to get them out.”
Lee-Anne was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene by paramedics but refused to go to hospital as she wanted to be with her pets and family.
Keavey, 21, added: “There has been a lot of anti-social behaviour with kids targeting those flats but it’s gone too far now.
“Somebody is going to lose their life if this goes on.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent four appliances to the scene shortly after 5.30pm before rescuing Lee-Anne from the flat.
A number of other residents were evacuated while crews worked to put out the flames.
Police Scotland have confirmed they are treating the fire as deliberate.
A force spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a fire at a property on Rowan Terrace in Blackburn around 5.40pm on Saturday, 22 January.
“The fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. A neighbouring property was also evacuated.
“The fire is being treated as deliberate and officers are following a positive line of enquiry.”
A fundraiser has been launched to help support the Davis family rebuild their lives.
To donate, please click here.
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