A WORK of art which escaped damage during a fire which swept through a county home has gone on display in a national exhibition.

Extensive damage was caused to 5 The Sands in Haddington during the fire on May 29. The roof was damaged at the former school building, which is C-listed, with the fire also spreading to the neighbouring property, where Fiona Maher lives.

Firefighters asked the artist if there was anything she would like rescued from the building.

She said: “My first thought was my bag and passport – at this point I was unaware of the full extent of the damage to the property.

“When these items were returned to me I was asked if there was anything else I’d like brought out.

“The request, to me was an obvious one – a small limestone sculpture that I had submitted for the RSA annual open exhibition.

“After describing the sculpture and where I thought I’d left it, the firefighter appeared shortly after with it in his hands – it was untarnished, no smoke or fire damage. At that point I was quite overcome with relief and a feeling that not all was lost, despite the events that had occurred that day.

“A couple of weeks later I was delighted to receive the news that the sculpture had been accepted to be part of this year’s Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture (RSA) show.”

The exhibition is taking place at the RSA Lower Galleries on The Mound in Edinburgh until July 25 and features a wide range of contemporary collectable artworks selected through open submission, including painting, drawing, sculpture, print, film and photography.

Ms Maher’s piece (pictured left) – called Twist and Turn – is carved from Portland limestone, with bike tyre inner tube inserts.

Ms Maher, who has lived at the property for two years, has had to find alternative accommodation while her home is restored.

It is hoped she might be able to return home by the end of the year and she said: “The property I was living in was fairly extensively damaged.

“Up the stairs, the adjoining wall between my room and my neighbour’s house is gone and a bit of the roof too.

“Then there was quite extensive water damage because [firefighters] had to use so much water.

“Part of the living room ceiling had come down too.”

The fire has also inspired Ms Maher’s next piece of work.

She said: “I rescued a couple of timbers from the property which had been thrown away by the firefighters.

“I have started to carve them into something and that is evolving at the moment.”