Two women have lost everything in a devastating house fire in Keith.
Next-door neighbours Dorothy Mitchell, 73, and mother-of-three Lindsay Mather, 44, had their homes at Regent Street engulfed by flames this morning.
The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service sent six engines to the scene after receiving a call from Dorothy at 9.11am.
Firefighters are still battling the blaze, while the A96 at Keith remains closed.
Speaking to The Press and Journal, both women said they are still “in shock” and do not know what they are going to do.
They now need find new places to live, and have lost all their belongings.
At the height of the incident, Lindsay had to re-enter her house to rescue the family’s dog while a firefighter rescued one of their cats.
Sadly, the family’s other cat and a hamster are still inside.
Pensioner loses her home of 56 years in Keith fire
Dorothy told The P&J she still “can’t believe” she has lost the house she has lived in for the past 56 years.
The grandmother, who lived there with her husband Douglas until he died 26 years ago, explained she has “lots of happy memories” inside.
Dorothy has one son, a daughter, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
“I just can’t believe it,” she said.
“My grandchildren and now my great grandchildren often stayed at the house – all the family memories are in there.”
Dorothy explained she was in the shower when she heard sparking noises coming from the immersion heater.
“When I saw the fire, I didn’t have time to be scared,” she said.
“I just rushed to the phone and called the fire brigade, and then I went outside and knocked on my neighbour’s door.”
The 73-year-old does not know where she will end up long-term, but she is lucky to have family who can help just now.
She continued: “I haven’t really thought about what I’ll be doing but, in the meantime, I’ll stay with my daughter.
“Tomorrow, I will be able to see the house and the extent of the damage, and I will take it from there.”
Mum-of-three loses everything in Regent Street fire
Lindsay Mather was about to head to work after dropping off her kids at school when she heard Dorothy knocking on her front door.
“She told me ‘My house is on fire’ and I was like ‘is it? Then I went outside and saw the smoke coming from it,” she recalled.
“I’m shocked, speechless – I didn’t think the fire would get to my house, but I’m looking at it now and it’s gone.”
Lindsay lived in the property with her three children Harley, 19, Aidan, 10, and Bella, 5.
She explained she had to run back inside to rescue her dog.
Lindsay said: “I went back in and rescued my puppy, then the firefighters got one of my cats, but my other cat and a hamster are still inside.
“The roof on both houses has collapsed and they are waiting until is safe to go back in.”
Lindsay, who works at the local bakery, says she knows she will no longer be able to stay in the property she has rented for the past three-and-a-half years.
She said: “There’s a lot of damage, so we can’t live there anymore.
“I’m sad about losing all the family photos, including those of me as a baby and my kids’ pictures.
“We’ve lost all our stuff, and the children don’t have any clothes left.”
Police have asked drivers to use Seafield Avenue/Station Road while the A96 remains closed.
HGVs should use the B9014 from Regent Square to Drummuir and the B9115 to the A96.
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