A kind-hearted Edinburgh local has set up a fundraiser for his neighbour following the aftermath of a devastating fire that ravaged the inside of their home on Tuesday.
Johnny Brown started the appeal online after one of his neighbours and their child were rushed to hospital following the blaze in their home on Granton Mains Brae around 3pm on Tuesday, July 12. Images from the scene show smoke pouring out of the top floor windows and 24 hours later, a pile of rubble and fire-damaged furniture have been pictured in the front garden.
Johnny, who was sitting playing his guitar next door, didn't realise the fire had even started until he heard all the commotion from neighbours outside. He said the top floor back windows had blown off and that one casualty was rescued from the building by a separate neighbour with a ladder.
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Johnny, a student and former care home worker, has now kindly set up a GoFundMe page for the victim of the fire in the hope that some money can be raised by locals to somewhat start the rebuilding process. Johnny also added that they were both lucky to be alive and he himself was even traumatised by the scenes on Tuesday.
He said: "I just thought I'd try and help out in some way because if you look at the house it's completely destroyed. Everything has been thrown out of the window, it has been obliterated, which is really sad to see.
"This is the last thing you'd want for anybody so I was just trying to help out in any way I can. I was just about to leave for work an hour after it happened, I play guitar so I was just chilling and singing and never even noticed. Apparently the windows in the back garden had blown out.
"One of the neighbours from along the road, her son managed to get a ladder and climbed up to pull one of them out of the top floor, he essentially saved their life. After that, the room was engulfed in flames, so that guy is a hero.
"It was quite traumatic actually, a weird experience. I don't usually dream but last night I was having nightmare about it, but you know what, everyone made it out and they are safe. There was a lot of damage, which obviously is really sad to see, nobody deserves that, but anything to get them back on their feet is worth it.
"I'm so lucky that my house didn't watch too and Id like to think that if that was me, there would be people there to help too. Apart from a distinct smell of smoke downstairs, my house is relatively unharmed."
For this wishing to donate to the fundraiser, you can do so here.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 3.03pm on Tuesday, July 12 to reports of a house on fire at Granton Mains Brae, Edinburgh. Operations Control mobilised six fire appliances and one height vehicle and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting the first floor of a two storey property.
"Two casualties were in the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service and crews left after ensuring the area was made safe.”
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