A fire broke out on a property in Melrose in the early hours of September 8.
Recounting what had happened, homeowner Lewis Neuburger said he heard a ‘soft noise’ at about 03:30.
“I was a bit suspicious that there may be somebody in the house and I went to investigate. I went down the passage and smelt a bit of burning and when I opened the door from the passage into the entrance hall, there was a huge volume of smoke that came into the passage.
“I ran back into my bedroom with difficulty, closed the door and escaped through a door from the bedroom into the bathroom. I was helped by my gardener Evans Bipa who was also woken up by the fire.”
He said just he and his gardener were on the property and they were not injured. The property owner said he did not suspect arson but ‘the police and fire department are investigating.
The police were present on the morning of the fire and prevented the Gazette from entering the property as they said they were still investigating.
The fire had been put out but extensive damage could be seen from the outside.
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