72-year old man among injured at fire in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire

NEIGHBOURS rushed to help an elderly man after a fierce fire ripped through a two-storey house.

The huge explosion on Friday afternoon largely destroyed the first floor flat located in a quiet cul-de-sac in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire.

A 32-year-old man, named locally as Mark Stephenson, remains in a serious condition in Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he is being treated for burns.

Fire in Bonhill, Dumbartonshire — Fire in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire

Mum-of-three Kara Smith, 30, was sitting on her doorstep when the blast rocked the street.

“I heard a massive noise,” she said. “I actually thought a lorry had crashed.

“I rushed up to the road to see what was going on, and could see the front of the building across the road was gone.

“There was a small fire, but it soon spread and filled the air with smoke.

“Myself and another guy spotted the elderly gentleman who lived below the burning flat had made it to the front door but couldn’t make it any further because there was rubble in the way.

“We had to help him.

“Someone took him in until the emergency services arrived.”

Police and the fire service are yet to establish the cause of the fire but evacuated some nearby properties as a precaution while gas mains in the area were checked.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said a 72-year-old man was released from hospital following treatment but the 32-year-old man is still in hospital in a serious condition.

“A joint investigation is on-going but as yet it is too early to say what caused the explosion,” she said.

A fire service spokesman said: “We received the first of many 999 calls relating to a fire at Burn Street Lane in Bonhill shortly before 2.40pm on Friday.

“Crews from Dumbarton, Balloch and Clydebank attended and extinguished a fire in a two-storey building.”

Gas engineers carried out checks in the area on Friday night to ensure the surrounding properties were not at risk.

A spokeswoman for Scottish Gas Networks said: “Our engineers attended quickly, carried out safety checks and have now left the site.”

West Dunbartonshire Council set up a temporary rest centre within a nearby early learning centre to accommodate residents and provide warm drinks.

A spokeswoman said: “Accommodation has been provided for those directly affected and we will continue to provide support throughout the weekend for anyone who needs it.”

Fire-fighters called as three cars spark major fire at Edinburgh Airport