Dundee flat fire ’caused by cooking left unattended after occupant fell asleep’

A fire that destroyed the upper floors of a Dundee tenement block in September may have been caused by cooking left unattended after the occupant fell asleep.

Around 30 firefighters battled through the night to contain the blaze at a block of flats at the corner of Princes Street and Graham Place in the city.

In all, 14 fire appliances from across Tayside were dispatched to the scene on Thursday September 5.

The fire gutted the two upper floors of the building.

Dundee fire began in the kitchen

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service report, obtained by The Courier through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, said the occupant escaped the fire after being alerted by a smoke alarm.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service report said the fire may have been started accidentally after the occupant fell asleep.

Oil or fat from food being cooked in the kitchen ignited before spreading to fixtures and fittings.

A rapid spread of the fire was caused by a flashover – when most combustible materials in an enclosed space ignite almost simultaneously.

14 fire appliances dispatched to Princes Street

Information from Police Scotland said “the occupier was alerted and escaped on hearing a smoke detector activating”.

It also stated that a “rapid fire spread” through the maisonette into the roof space.

The fire then spread externally through a rear window onto the roof.

Images from the scene showed the roof engulfed in flames as firefighters fought to contain the blaze.

Tenants were left unable to return to their homes after Dundee City Council deemed the building unsafe.