A street in a Ross-shire town was evacuated yesterday after a fire in a container holding gas canisters.
Firefighters were called to the blaze at Robert Cassie’s slating and roofing business in an industrial estate on Dochcarty Road, Dingwall, shortly after 2.30pm.
A police spokeswoman said that the street had been evacuated as a precaution, adding that there was not believed to be any threat to life.
Two appliances from Dingwall and one from Beauly were at the scene, along with the water carrier from Inverness.
Firefighters were concentrating their efforts on gas cylinders known to have been involved in the fire.
A fire service spokesman said that a 220-yard cordon was set up by police at the request of the fire service and nearby premises were evacuated as a precaution.
The fire itself was extinguished but the damping down process took some time.
Sepa were also at the scene to make sure that the area was safe.
A worker from Duncan Scaffold Ltd, which is in the industrial unit, said: “We were trying to get up to the yard but it’s all blocked off. I phoned up our boss and he said that everyone has been evacuated.”
One local resident said that he was walking his dog along the town’s Bridgend Avenue when he noticed the fire. He added: “There was thick black smoke and it was about four times the height of the buildings.”