Lorry fire closes A83

An unexpected morning road closure followed reports of a HGV on fire and the sound of explosions in Inveraray.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) were first alerted to a lorry on fire on the A83, near Inveraray, at 6.44am on Tuesday November 5.

A SFRS spokesman said: ‘Operations Control mobilised two appliances to the scene where firefighters extinguished the flames. Crews left after ensuring the area was made safe.’

Police also attended the scene and a Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘The incident was reported to police at 6.47am. Police and fire services attended and the fire was extinguished.

‘BEAR Scotland also attended to assist with the road closure and one lane was open to traffic at about 8.20am and the vehicle recovered around 9am.’

The incident, at Shira Bridge area near the roadworks about half a mile on the Inveraray side of Stone Point, is believed to have caused some damage to the road service.

Speaking on Wednesday, a spokesperson for BEAR Scotland said: ‘Our team assisted Police Scotland with a vehicle fire on the A83 near Inveraray around 7.40am. The road was closed for safety with one lane re-opened at 8.30am, with temporary traffic lights put in place until the vehicle could be recovered in the early afternoon. The road fully re-opened at 1.30pm following a safety assessment. Our inspection team is scheduled to assess the road surface for any damage on Thursday November 7, with any repairs programmed as required.’