A vulnerable woman had to be evacuated from her home in Elgin as a fire tore through the property and left it severely damaged.
Emergency services were called to the blaze in her bungalow on Mitchell Crescent, in the Bishopmill area, shortly after 1pm and remained there for hours.
Six fire engines from Elgin, Lossiemouth, Fochabers and Forres all attended and a stretch of Bishopmill Brae was closed while crews battled to get the flames under control.
It is believed that a woman, thought to be the sole occupant of the property, was safely evacuated from the house before the blaze took hold.
The woman is thought to have mobility problems, and her neighbours said she was often seen using a walking stick to get around.
The fire tore apart the roof of the house, and crews used special height equipment to save what was left of the rest of the building.
Smoke could be seen billowing out for miles around Elgin during the incident.
One neighbour said it was “shocking” to see the affected property “in such a state”.
And Gary Davis, who lives on North Street, added: “It is an awful size of fire, I could see it from miles away and I could only hope nobody was caught up in it.”
Rush hour traffic faced delays as motorists travelled through Bishopmill from the direction of the Halfords roundabout, due to the heavy police and fire attendance.