A Pittenweem man has told of the moment he helped staff from a local chip shop to safety after it caught fire.
A blaze at the family-run business in the Fife fishing village on Tuesday all but destroyed the building, gutting the inside of the chip shop.
Local man Paul Kennedy was outside his home when he spotted smoke and flames bursting from the shop at around 6pm.
He has told The Courier how he helped a member of staff to safety after arriving on scene, despite the shop being engulfed in flames and thick, acrid smoke.
Without thinking the 50-year-old said he made his way into a small ante-room to help the owner of the chippy who had become “disorientated”.
Paul explained: “I live round the corner and have a view of the back of the chippy. I saw smoke and went round, and that’s really when I saw everything.
“There was three people [who were in the shop at the time], two staff who normally do the front of house and the owner, who does the frying.
“He was still inside the building.
“There’s a little ante-room on the right hand side as you go in, it was well ablaze by that time.
“I just went in, he was quite disorientated so I grabbed him and pulled him out and took him to the other side of the road.”
Paul also alerted neighbouring properties to the unfolding drama, fearful the fire could spread through the roof space.
It’s not the first time he has stepped in to help after coming across a fire. Ten years ago, while doing home deliveries for Asda, Paul came across a house fire in Glenrothes with children trapped inside.
“It’s one of those things when you’re there you just do what you can do. I didn’t really think about safety.
“I think it’s just fight or flight, and I had to do something.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We would always encourage people to call 999 and wait for the arrival of firefighters to prevent putting themselves at risk.
“Nevertheless, we would like to thank the individual for their support during this incident.”
Pittenweem ‘devastated’ by chip shops destruction
Paul also described the terrible effect on the community the chip shop’s destruction was having.
“The effect on the community is devastating, and the way we have rallied shows that.
“We’ve seen comments from far and wide, from Australia and America who’ve visited the area. It has shocked a lot of people.
“It’s more of a community hub. After 6pm at night it’s the only place open apart from pubs. And they do bloody good fish and chips.”
He has joined comic Phill Jupitus in encouraging people who can to donate to a crowd funder set up to help the chippy “get back on its feet”.
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