Man who lost bar in fire hoping it can rise again

Family’s relief after student escaped from adjoining house

The owner of a Moray bar who watched it being reduced to a ruin by fire is refusing to give up hope it can rise again from the ashes.

Flames ripped through the Beach Bar and a neighbouring home in Lossiemouth at the weekend – reducing the buildings to empty shells.

Fire crews battled the blaze for several hours on Saturday as they attempted to save the historic structure, which began life as the town’s public baths in 1875, from being reduced to cinders.

Last night, the fire service said it was too soon to establish what started the blaze.

An investigation is expected to begin in the coming days.

Yesterday restaurant owner Graham Fleming returned to the seaside businesses that has been his livelihood for 30 years for the first time after he could not bear to watch the premises being destroyed.

Meanwhile, Liz Wood, who lived in the adjoining house, is expected to return from a holiday in Egypt today after the flames devastated the family home.

Her 20-year-old son Luke was the only person inside the building at the time and escaped wearing his pyjamas after a neighbour raised the alarm.

Mrs Wood’s other son Owen, 13, was staying with family at the time.

Mr Fleming arrived at the scene at about 6.15am and initially believed the fire would cause only minor damage to the bar, which employed 25 people.

The businessman was planning a £30,000 upgrade to the premises in January in order to prepare the restaurant, which is popular with locals, RAF Lossiemouth personnel and visiting forces, for an uptake in trade with the looming expansion of the military base.

He said: “I could see something smouldering on the porch but when I walked round I couldn’t see anything burning inside.

“I thought we’d lose the front, which would have been all right.

“As soon as that wind picked up though it went right through the roof.

“I couldn’t stay, I didn’t want to watch my business being burnt to the ground.”

He added: “It’s all out of my hands now while the police and fire do their investigation, then the insurers will take over.

“I don’t want to give up hope on it coming back.”

Mrs Wood’s sister, Vicky Ingram, said the family would be “eternally grateful” to the neighbour who woke Luke to alert him to the emergency.

She said: “He was only able to get his shoes on and grab his phone and college work as he left. All he’s got is the pyjamas he was wearing. The family has lost everything.

“We’re all just glad that Luke got out of the house all right, which is down to the people who ran to help.”

Photographs by LPM Photography INFERNO: Graham Fleming couldn’t stay to watch as flames ripped through the bar and neighbouring home.

Firefighters battled the blaze for hours on Saturday