Firefighters were called to a blaze which destroyed a shed and spread to nearby hedges in an Aberdeen garden earlier today.
The fire, which took hold on Whitehall Place shortly after 3pm, sent thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and dozens of alarmed residents dialled 999 with concerns that a house was ablaze.
A spokeswoman for the fire service later confirmed the incident was one that “looked a lot worse than it was”.
She said: “The fire spread to the hedges in the garden and firefighters used a hose reel jet and breathing apparatus to get it under control.
“It was dealt with within half an hour by crews from the North Anderson Drive and Central stations.”
Meanwhile, Inverurie firefighters were called to extinguish a “small fire” in a car parked at the town’s Tesco supermarket at about 4pm.
