Neighbour 'saves family's lives' after alerting them to bin fire outside Grangemouth home in middle of night

The owners of a takeaway in Grangemouth have praised a neighbour who ‘saved their lives’ after waking them in the middle of the night to alert them to a wheelie bin fire outside their home.

Owners of the Hub and Café Takeaway said they were left “shaken” by the incident, in which three wheelie bins had been set alight outside the family’s dining room and one level below their daughter’s bedroom.

The incident took place in Ettrick Court after 1.35am, less than 35 minutes after fire crews responded to a similar instance of a wheelie bin on fire in Strowan Square in the town.

A third incident involving six bins and a shelter on fire at Lumley Street was then reported to SFRS around 2.20am, with one appliance extinguishing the fire.

Police said the blaze on Ettrick Court is being treated as wilful while enquiries are ongoing into the incident on Strowan Square.

The cafe’s owners posted on Facebook: “Hi everyone. I’m wondering if anyone Ettrick Court/Charlotte Dundas way has a ring doorbell/CCTV.

“We were just woken by our neighbour as our bins had been set on fire out the front of our house.

“Luckily my husband managed to extinguish the majority of the flames while the fire brigade were on route but sitting here shaking this could have been a different story completely and we will be eternally grateful to the neighbour and the fire brigades quick response.

“After speaking to the firemen they had already dealt with the same thing a couple of streets away so we are looking for anyone around with CCTV or to the people this also happened to in case they have caught these lowlifes.

“The biggest thank you to our neighbour who we hadn’t yet met and wish this had been under different circumstances!

“You quite literally saved the lives of us and our children and we will never ever be able to repay you.”

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 1.06am on Thursday, October 10 to reports of a wheelie bin on fire at Strowan Square, Grangemouth.

“Operations Control mobilised one fire appliance to the scene where the fire had been extinguished prior to the crew’s arrival.

“There were no reported casualties and crews left the scene after ensuring the area was made safe.”

SFRS added: “We were alerted at 1.35am on Thursday, October 10 to reports of three wheelie bins on fire at Ettrick Court, Grangemouth.

“Operations Control mobilised two fire appliances and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting three wheelie bins.

“There were no reported casualties and crews left after ensuring the area was made safe.”

They continued: “We were alerted at 2.20am on Thursday, October 10 to reports of bins on fire at Lumley Street, Grangemouth.

“Operations Control mobilised one fire appliance and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting six wheelie bins and a bin shelter.

“There were no reported casualties and crews left after ensuring the area was made safe.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.50am on Thursday, October 10, 2024, we received a report of a bin fire at a property on Ettrick Court, Grangemouth.

“There were no reports of any injuries and the fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing.”

Officers added: “Around 10.50am on Thursday, October 10, we received a report of a bin fire at a premises on Strowan Square, Grangemouth.

“There were no reports of any injuries and the fire was extinguished.

“Enquiries are at an early stage.”