Copyright dailyrecord
A man has told how he was saved by his hero dog after his charger burst into flames at his home in West Lothian. Terry Fairley, 41, was roused from his sleep by his twelve-year-old Labrador Skye as thick black smoke began to fill his property on Mushet Road in Livingston . His loyal pooch was trying to alert him of the blaze that had broken out with the fire alarms in the kitchen having not gone off. After Terry 'crawled through the smoke' to get the house phone, fire crews arrived and tackled the flames. Speaking to Edinburgh Live , he said: "Sky woke me up and I couldn’t see anything for the smoke. "The fire alarms in the kitchen and living room weren’t going off. Apparently the USB mobile charger is what caused it. I had to crawl to get the house phone, which was in the living room. I dialled 999 and then had to get my dogs out. If it wasn't for my dog I don't know whether I would have woken up or not." He was given oxygen therapy at the scene before being handed into the care of paramedics. The blaze took place at around 2am on August 21 and Terry, who rents his property from Places for People, says he's had 'barely any contact' with the housing association since. He says there is 'no sign' of repairs to his kitchen being carried out, with his cupboards either charred or completely broken and many of his appliances also ruined. Terry said: "Someone for Places for People came out to look at the kitchen, and they said I’d need a whole new kitchen because of smoke damage and they’d get a painter and decorator in. "I’m still waiting to this day. I keep emailing and phoning, they’re just fobbing me off. The kitchen is a state. It’s depressing me, it’s absolutely ridiculous." Since the fire , Terry - who struggles with anxiety and depression - has also been told by doctors he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He's now desperate to get out of the house which only reminds him of a horrible night. He added: "I’ve been crying constantly. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and I don’t even feel safe in my own house now. I’m on an upper villa, so the only way out is down the stairs. "I want a bottom flat because at least there’s a window I can get out of if something was to happen again. I want out of that house, and I'm not getting any answers from anybody." Places for People apologised for the "time taken to put this right". A spokesperson said: “We extend our sincere sympathy to our customer and our thoughts are with them following what must have been a very distressing experience. "The safety of our customers is our utmost priority. We conduct annual tests on all fire detection and alarm systems to ensure they are functioning correctly. "In this case, the system is hard-wired with a battery backup to prevent any disruption in the event of an electrical fault. Straight after the incident, we visited the property and replaced the alarm in the kitchen which was damaged by the fire. "We also completed tests on all other alarms in the property, and all were working. We are aware of the necessary repairs to the customer’s kitchen following the fire, including repainting and replacing units and surfaces. "We apologise for the time taken to put this right and are visiting the property tomorrow to progress this."
