The cause of a fire which gutted Forfar’s old Pavilion bingo hall is still being treated as unexplained.
As bulldozers prepare to raze the one-time town cinema, police are continuing to investigate Sunday’s ferocious blaze.
Only a charred shell of the empty building remains from the inferno which broke out just before 2pm.
Half a dozen fire crews tackled flames which leapt more than 50 feet into the air.
Firefighters spent around nine hours at the scene, returning the following day to damp down isolated hotspots.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service senior officer revealed the challenges crews had faced in protecting surrounding properties in the narrow street.
Light wind posed potential threat to nearby houses
Gordon Pryde, local senior officer for Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross told an Angus Council scrutiny meeting even Sunday’s light wind could have had dramatic consequences.
“The crews did a fantastic job dealing with what was a significant fire in preventing it spreading to neighbouring buildings,” he said.
The Gaffie, as it is known locally, remains cordoned off along Queen Street as a precaution until demolition work gets underway.
Its owner, local firm Albamuir, has instructed contractors to begin the knockdown of the building’s remnants as soon as possible.
They said the asbestos fibres are contained within cement and present “very low risk” to the public.
A council spokesman said: “The property is secured to prohibit access until demolition takes place and should not be entered under any circumstances due to risk from further collapse.”
