One man rescued from Bay Street fire in Port Glasgow

The man was seen desperately trying to escape his second storey town centre apartment on Bay Street through a back window when emergency services arrived on the scene early this morning.

Firefighters managed to get to him and safely take him to ground level, where paramedics were waiting to provide emergency treatment. 

An eyewitness said: "We called the fire service when a delivery driver spotted the smoke. Then all of sudden the windows blew out and the flames were bursting out.

"The guy was lucky to get out. He was trying to get out the back window of the flat when the firefighters arrived.

"They put up a ladder to get him out."

The latest emergency incident comes on the back of a series of fires in Port Glasgow - at a time when serious concerns are being raised about cuts to fire service provision in Inverclyde.

The eyewitness added: "It is terrible in the Port just now with fires every other night. It would be terrifying to count them all up."

This morning's casualty was taken by ambulance to hospital for further treatment.

The alarm was raised at around 7.40am when a delivery driver smoke billowing from the building.

Firefighters remained on the scene as an investigation into the cause of the blaze got underway.

A Scottish Fire spokesman said: "We were alerted at 7.42am on Tuesday 12 September to reports of a dwelling fire on Bay Street, Port Glasgow.

“Operations control mobilised a total of four fire appliances to the scene, where firefighters worked to extinguish a fire on the second floor of the  dwelling.

"One casualty was handed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

"Crews remain in attendance working to make the area safe."

The police were also on the scene, closing Bay Street off to traffic during the morning rush hour.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "One person, the householder, has been taken by ambulance to hospital.

"Enquiries into the cause of the fire are continuing."