New pictures have revealed the aftermath of a huge fire which destroyed a Blairgowrie laundrette on Friday night.
The pictures, which were taken on Saturday morning, show how Blair’s Laundry on Emma Street was destroyed by the blaze.
The building’s roof has completely caved in, and parts of the side walls have collapsed due to the flames.
The fire started at around 7pm on Friday night, with emergency services soon shutting off the street.
Residents report hearing ‘explosions’ as flames took hold of the building.
They were also advised to close their windows and keep drones away due to the smoke.
Fortunately, nobody was injured during the incident.
A spokesperson confirmed that firefighters were still in attendance at the destroyed business on Saturday. However the inferno died down and only one appliance remained, it left at 2.25pm.
An investigation is now underway, which will also establish the cause of the fire.
Blairgowrie resident saw ‘big orange light’ at laundry
Amy McDonald was one of those who witnessed the blaze – which could be seen from as far away as Rattray.
She said: “It was absolutely terrifying. The fire was massive.
“I was in my house, which is just round the corner from it, and I heard a noise that I thought was fireworks at first, I think most people did.
“I looked out and saw a big orange light in the sky, I took a video of it.
“It was very scary, you could see the flames from Rattray.
“It was going all night and they were there still putting out some flames this morning.
“It’s horrible going past. It’s all burnt down. The full roof is gone and most of the building – it’s so sad.
“It’s been there for years since my mum was little as well and I just really hope everyone is okay.
“My heart hurts for everyone that works there, especially the owners.”
Emma Street was closed and local residents allowed “limited access” to the street.
Scott MacGregor, chair of Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Council, praised locals for their response.
He said: “There is usually someone in the building until 9pm but the person was away, so it’s a relief no one was in and no one was hurt.
“I work as a chef, after the kitchen closed at 7pm I heard what happened and went straight up. I stayed until about 11.30pm/midnight.
“We have a resilience group for these major situations so quickly deployed that.
“I asked the fire service and police if they wanted us to open the high school, for example for those on medical equipment, and things like that, just asking if they needed us to do anything to help them out. The police couldn’t praise it enough.
“The fire service deployed their welfare unit but that didn’t arrive until later.
“The effort from local people was amazing, people were offering their houses to let people use the bathroom and things. It was great to see the community come together albeit during a hard time.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 7.20pm on Friday, police received a report of a fire at premises on Emma Street in Blairgowrie.
“Officers have been in attendance to assist the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“A road closure is in place with limited local access available and officers remain in attendance.”
Scottish Water restore normal service following laundry fire
Scottish Water were also called in to assist firefighters by diverting supplies towards the blaze.
Some residents reported brown tap water due to the diversion, however the firm says no complaints have been raised.
A spokesperson said: “Due to the volume of water required by the nine attending fire appliances, the change in flow can lead to some localised disturbance of fine deposits within the network which may lead to some temporary discolouration.
“Our priority was firstly assisting the fire service to get the blaze under control and ensure everyone was safe.
“We now expect normal supplies to begin to resume as the network settles down. The length of time this takes may depend on the demand for water and some customers may experience discolouration for slightly longer.
“To clear, we would advise customers to run their cold water tap for a short period of time.
“We apologise for any inconvenience to our customers.”
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