A Scots dad rebuilt his family home ten months after it burned to the ground in a horror fire.
Iain Miller, 39, and daughters Casey, 10, and Holly, 9 were relaxing in their new hot tub in the garden when the blaze took hold on December 30 in 2020.
The family were unaware that a log from their coal burner had already started a fire in the living room of the house.
Casey had opened the back door to their Dunfermline home and was blasted with a black plume of smoke that sent dad Iain into a panic.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Iain said: "It was panic stations straight away.
"I ran in the house and the fire had already taken hold of the living room. Because we were out the back, we never saw it.
"I then rushed the kids, who were in swimwear in the freezing cold, to the next-door neighbour's house and called the fire brigade."
The brave single dad raced into the house to rescue the family dog but would later find out their cat died in the fire.
Ian says within 30 minutes his home of ten years was engulfed by the flames.
It took three fire crews six hours to bring the flames under control as the dad watched his house burn.
The coal fire in the family's living room is believed to have been the source of the blaze.
Iain explains: "One of the logs had dropped in the fire, this caused the coals to move and it rolled out past a grate and the hearth and onto the carpet."
He continued: "It was a disaster.
"I came back to the house the next day to assess the damage and the whole place was destroyed. "
The roof had collapsed during the fire, and every room had been scorched or damaged by smoke and water.
Ian had another kick in the teeth when his insurance company refused to payout.
The community rallied around the family and managed to raise £13,000 to help them begin rebuilding their life.
But Iain says there were some treasured items lost in the fire that couldn't be replaced.
He said: "I managed to salvage my children's memory box, which I found after the fire but we lost some things that can't be replaced.
'I had an older dog that died the year before last and we never recovered his ashes.
"It's funny the things you will bother you that you lose in a fire but that really upset me."
Despite the tragedy, Ian, who is a plumber to trade was determined to rebuild his home for his girls.
He reckons the whole rebuild cost him £65,000.
He spent nine months painstakingly piecing his home back together with the help of friends and family, while living at his mum's house.
He said: "I had to get on it with it, I've done the whole lot myself.
"We spent the first three months emptying rubbish out of the house. We removed 80 tons of rubbish altogether.
"We stripped everything back until it was just four walls.
"The last ten months have just been so horrendously busy. I've got my business to run, I'm raising two girls and have been building a house. It was hard, you still have bills to pay to live in that time and I was in a rented flat."
After ten months, the family were able to move back into their home this week.
The tradesman laughed: "It's not been easy.
"I’m quite a positive person but I’ve had moments. I’ve had tears and because it’s just me and the girls, I’ve felt so alone.
"The kids have been a godsend they’ve really kept me going, I don’t know what I would have done without them.
"It’s been a hard slog but we are back in the house for Christmas", he added.
The inspirational dad has described his efforts as a 'lifetime achievement'.
He said: "I was sitting on my bed and realised this is unbelievable.
"There was a point when you would come up the stairs and there was no roof on the house at all, all you could see was the sky.
"To be able to sit in my house and relax is incredible. It’s a lifetime achievement, I did it for my kids. They needed a house."
Iain is now keen to get back on track with work and is urging customers to get in touch - you can find his details here.
