Cops investigate fire as camper destroyed
No links to second fire but thought to be deliberate
The owner of a car burned out on the East Kilbride Expressway was on the phone to cops when he saw a caravanette torched by a group of men outside his flat.
That led to CID officers investigating a possible link between the two incidents in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
However, the News can confirm that neither Police Scotland or Scottish Fire and Rescue (SFRS) believe the incidents are not connected.
We told you online on Wednesday how emergency services launched an investigation after an early morning fire ripped through a caravanette and damaged vehicles in the Calderwood area.
The incident happened around 1am in Thorndyke, with emergency services rushing to the scene – their investigations as to the cause are still ongoing, but the fire is thought to be wilful.
One of the videos sent to us depicting the fire was from Peter, whose car was destroyed by fire that same night, just two miles away.
Speaking to the News, Peter – who does not wish to give his surname – said: “I was heading home from work when my car broke down on the Expressway just after 11pm.
“I managed to pull in and bump it up onto the kerb and run home to Calderwood to charge my phone so I could call for roadside assistance.
“The guy said he’d be out to collect my car around 1am, so as I was leaving my flat to walk back down, cops called to say my car had been burned out.
“As I was on the phone to them, I looked out the window of our flat and saw the caravan explode and four wee black dots run away from it.
“I just told them what had happened and they came up with fire and rescue. It was really strange.”
A spokesman for SFRS service told us of their efforts to douse the blaze at Thorndyke, but the caravanette involved was completely destroyed.
A number of cars parked next to it were also damaged, including a Vauxhall Mokka.
A spokesman for SFRS said: “We were alerted at 1.07am on August 19 to reports of a vehicle fire within the Calderwood area of East Kilbride.
“Two appliances were mobilised to the scene, where crews extinguished a fire involving a caravan, which also affected two nearby vehicles.
“There were no reported casualties. Crews left at 1.45am, and the scene was passed over to Police Scotland colleagues.”
A police source confirmed the caravan was destroyed and two vehicles parked either side were damaged, with no one injured in the blaze.
However, investigations are ongoing as to how the blaze in Thorndyke started.
The spokesman said: “The incident on the East Kilbride Expressway has been thoroughly investigated by ourselves and SFRS and has not been deemed wilful.
“It is also not been established to be linked to the Calderwood fire.”
Two videos sent into the News show the inferno at Thorndyke as it raged, ripping through vehicles and destroying a caravanette.
In one video, Josh Maitland and girlfriend Becca can be heard panicking about the severity of the fire.
Josh told the News: “We woke up because the dog was barking and actually thought someone was trying to break in.
“I opened the curtains to see if anyone was in the garden, then it was just thick smoke.
“I called the fire service and then decided to video it.
“It was so intense.
“I watched the flames catch and the car next to the caravanette just melt – it folded under the heat and intensity of the fire.
“The whole area was lit up.”
Josh said he and his girlfriend – who are are housesitting for his brother – said they heard chattering outside, then were aware of the dog barking and then the fire.
“Because of the chattering, I think it was probably targeted,” he added.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101. Information can also be left anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.