Fire crews have spent the night battling a blaze which ripped through a laundry in Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
The blaze was reported inside a commercial property on Emma Street at around 7pm.
One local reported hearing “several explosions” as the fire continued to burn.
No one is reported to have been inside the building when it caught fire.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said on Friday night: “SFRS received a call at 7.02pm to a report of a building fire in Emma Street, Blairgowrie.
“We currently have six appliances and three specialist appliances in attendance.”
The spokeswoman confirmed that one pump was still present at the fire on Saturday morning.
Pictures from the scene show how the fire took hold of the building, with flames burning through the top of the property.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who represents the area in parliament, said he was “deeply concerned” to hear about the fire.
An eyewitness said the roof of the building, which locals say is a laundry, appears to have completely burnt away.
The road has also been sealed off.
One local told The Courier: “There was maybe around four or five explosions. I think there is a fuel source at the side of building, I don’t know if it was that.
“It looks like the fire was trying to spread. The fire service is dampening down buildings to stop it.
“I’m old enough to remember the last big fire in 1994, on the Perth Road, and this is much bigger than that was. I’ve never heard explosions as loud.”
Residents were advised to shut their windows as emergency services fought the blaze.
The flames were also visible from nearby Rattray.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Around 7.20 pm on Friday police received a report of fire at a premise in Emma Street, Blairgowrie.”
Brown tap water as Scottish Water assist fire crews
Residents also reported brown tap water as fire crews drew on supplies to fight the fire.
A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “At 8pm SFRS reported this had been raised to a category 3 incident and were seeking assistance from Scottish Water.
“An operative is en route to the location to provide any help we can in tackling this fire.
“It is likely that due to the number of appliances attending the blaze some customers may be experiencing discoloured water from their taps.
“Our priority at this stage is to assist in getting the fire under control and that everyone is safe.
“Once this is under control, supplies will gradually return to normal. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause in the meantime.”
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