Tranent dad says family may have 'been trapped' after fire breaks out

Emergency services were alerted to the fire outside The Tranent Villa takeaway at about 5.55am this morning and remained on the scene until about 7.20am.

Vince Kerr was asleep at his home above the business with his wife Amanda, their 16-year-old son and the family dog when he was alerted to the fire by a neighbour.

He told the Courier: "It was about five to six when the neighbour called to tell us to get out of the house.

"I had heard a bang outside. I hadn't thought much of it but I think it was an oil drum bursting outside the shop."

Firefighters were on the scene at a fire outside The Tranent Villa on Church Street until about 7.20am

Mr Kerr said that CCTV footage from the business showed an individual setting fire to a bin outside the property.

He said: "Police came and took our statements and the manager at the restaurant came and was concerned about his kitchen.

"The fire had already burst through the window at the shop when we got outside and was going into the kitchen.

"Our only escape is down the balcony and the fire had already got close to that.

"I think if it had been another 30 minutes we could have been trapped."

The Tranent Villa on Church Street, Tranent has been left damaged by a fire

Mr Kerr, who has lived at the property for more than 20 years, said that he had raised concerns about the oil drums outside the business before.

He said: "There are normally about 10 drums out there and cardboard boxes too. It's a fire hazard. I have reported it to East Lothian Council but gotten nowhere."

A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were alerted at 5.56am on Wednesday, 6 March to reports of a fire outside a commercial property on Church Street, Tranent.

“Operations Control mobilised three fire appliances where crews extinguished the fire. 

“No injuries were reported, and firefighters left after ensuring the area was made safe.”