A drunk who started a fire on the fourth floor of an East Kilbride tower block was jailed for 16 months last week.
A frightened mum spotted smoke coming under the door into her flat and raised the alarm.
She fled with her two children, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard.
Christopher Smith, 28, of Murray Square, East Kilbride, admitted wilfully starting the blaze at Globe Court on November 5 or 6 last year.
Vish Kathuria, prosecuting, said it happened around midnight.
Earlier Smith, who had no connection with the 15-storey tower, was spotted lying sleeping in a common close on the fourth floor. A resident tried to wake him without success.
Mr Kathuria said the young mum then heard banging and the sound of a lighter being clicked.
He told the court: “She saw smoke coming through the door of her flat and also in the close. She was extremely concerned and contacted a friend who assisted her and her children to get out of the block.
“Firefighters attended and saw the accused staggering about on the third floor. He fell over a hose and had to be told repeatedly to leave because of the fire.”
Smith had started the fire by setting alight rubbish in a chip pan that had been left outside a flat.
Mr Kathuria said the fourth floor was “heavily smoke-logged” but, because the source of the fire had been identified and it was being put out, firefighters advised residents to stay in their flats and did not order an evacuation.
The blaze damaged a wall and the floor, and there was “significant” smoke damage, but no one was injured.
Smith had left the scene and was spotted by an ambulance crew walking on the A725 East Kilbride Expressway.
Mr Kathuria explained: “The ambulance had to stop in the fast lane because of him. The crew assisted him, but a short time later police arrived and officers noticed he was smelling strongly of smoke, had soot on his hands and his trainers had melted.
“He was released at this point as officers didn’t know about the tower block fire, but about 3am he was traced to a homeless shelter in Blantyre. He had a lighter in his possession.”
Defence agent Ian Scott said Smith has just completed community payback and restriction of liberty orders imposed for another offence.
Sheriff Marie Smart told Smith he would have been jailed for two years had he not pleaded guilty.
