The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Community rallies after fire destroys house
Residents of St Cyrus were stunned after a “horrendous” fire ravaged a home and left at least one of its owners in hospital.
Emergency services were called to the incident, on Invergarry Park in the south Aberdeenshire village, at 8.25pm on Saturday.
It took eight hours to quell the flames and a pall of smoke clung to the village throughout yesterday.
The fire had caused the roof of the house to cave in and there was damage to the neighbouring home, too.
Firefighters urged residents to keep their windows closed due to “heavy smoke” in the area.
One local, who did not wish to be named, said the “smoke was terrifying” and that many nearby residents had watched in shock as emergency service vehicles arrived.
The fire was brought under control by 4am. The house was left little more than a shell.
The home owners were last night named locally as Caroline and David
Pirie, while neighbour Shona Dewars’ home was also damaged.
Police confirmed one woman had been taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with minor injuries.
On Facebook, the couple’s daughter,
Gemma Pirie, thanked “every single one of my mum and dad’s neighbours in Invergarry Park for their help, support and kindness after their house fire”.
She wrote: “You truly are amazing and we will be forever grateful for your kindness. I am also thankful everybody is safe.”
She also asked people to be on the lookout for a Jack Russel, named Billy, who is thought to have fled the house during the ordeal.
It was the second major fire on Invergarry Park this year, with another home damaged in a February blaze.
Yesterday, St Cyrus residents banded together to provide help and support to the family affected by the “devastating” fire.
There were offers of places to stay, advice on how best to remove the smell of smoke and even offers to wash clothes.
Yvonne Keith, at the St Cyrus Village Inn, was one of the many locals to offer support.
She said: “We’ve got a really good community in St Cyrus and everyone comes together to help each other in times like this.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “The fire is not thought to be suspicious and there was no further police involvement.”