Disabled woman 'trapped' in flat during close fire

The family of a disabled woman claim she was left "trapped" inside her council flat during a fire due to a lack of a suitable emergency exit.

Susan McLaughlin, 44, who has Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), and her husband, Frank, 47, remained inside the ground floor property in Dumbarton after a deliberate blaze in a nearby communal drying room.

With smoke outside the main door, Susan found her condition left her unable to exit via a window and she had to wait inside while fire crews extinguished the flames.

West Dunbartonshire Council said the flat had previously been assessed as suitable for Susan but it was liaising with the family to establish if her needs had changed.

One person was taken to hospital as a result of the fire on Tuesday, while six others were treated at the scene.

Neighbours of the couple helped hold Susan's face towards an open window to help her breathe more easily as she waited for the fire to be put out.

The couple's daughter, Alysha McLean, has now called on West Dunbartonshire Council to install an effective "escape point" for council tenants with disabilities in case of similar situations.

Alysha, 24, said her parents moved into the flat in Colquhoun Road with her younger brother Brandon, 20, in June 2023 because of her mum's mobility issues.

FND severely affects how the brain sends and receives signals from the body. It can cause a range of symptoms including chronic fatigue, limb weakness and seizures.

Alysha said Susan was a wheelchair user and has no functionality in one of her arms due to the condition.

She said Frank had opened the door shortly after they were alerted to the fire by a neighbour, only to be confronted by a wall of smoke and flames after it spread to the common close.

It meant the only exit point was a window in the living room, which Susan was unable to climb out through.

At one stage, a passing roofer tried to help her but was unable to get her out.

Alysha said: "People kept trying to lift her, but it just wasn't possible. She has no muscle tone in her arms and legs so she couldn't hold herself up to the window.

"We had to sit with all the windows open in the house. Her neighbours were sitting on the other side holding her face towards the window for her."

Fire crews extinguished the fire and left the scene after about two hours.

Images show the close covered by thick, black smoke damage, while the outside of the four-storey block is also badly charred.

Brandon, who was in Glasgow City Centre when the fire started, said it had been caused by debris and abandoned items in the drying room being set alight.

Alysha said her parents were exploring having a "patio door" installed in place of the window to ease access in case of another fire.

She said the fire should serve as a warning to other council tenants in "disabled access homes" to make sure they have suitable emergency exit points should they be in a similar situation.

Alysha said: "Mum and dad are so shaken up. They are terrified to live in that flat in case it happens again.

"We don't want this to turn into a slagging match with the council, because obviously it's not something that we pre-empted.

"It's more of a warning for other councils and other disabled tenants, who have been put in flat for their mobility.

"They have got a disabled access house - in reality they don't, if the front door is your only way of leaving the house. In a situation like this, you are totally in danger, you are totally trapped."

A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council said it had been in contact with tenants affected by the fire.

She said Susan and Frank's flat would be assessed for any necessary modifications.

She added: "This tenant's property, which meets fire safety regulations around access and egress, was assessed as suitable for her medical needs as they were presented to us in 2023.

"We are in direct contact with the tenant to understand her evolving needs and will undertake any necessary assessments to ensure suitability going forward."