Inverness garage blaze drama after tumble drier suspected of catching fire
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A GARAGE was destroyed by flames in Inverness today (Tuesday|March 15) after a tumble drier inside went on fire it is suspected.
The garage contents including a freezer, fishing tackle and children's bikes were also destroyed or severely damaged, but firefighters prevented the flames spreading to the attached terraced house although it was smoke damaged.
Kevin Greig (37), who works in IT with the NHS, was in his house shortly before 3pm with his partner and one of their two children who was off school with Covid when he discovered the fire.
He said: "I heard a noise like someone using an angle grinder and went to the garage and saw it was the tumble drier that was on fire. The noise was from the tumble drier.
"I thought of trying to tackle the fire but as soon as I saw the flames were near the gas boiler I just got out of the area in case it went up. Better safe than sorry. At least it happened during the day and not when we are all in bed, and no one was hurt."
Mr Greig, a keen river angler who lost his fishing tackle in the blaze added: "The fire service were here very quickly and the house was not really damaged apart from the smoke. It was a good solid garage but the flames were through the roof quite quickly."
Mr Greig was later trying to contact his insurance company to have the damage assessed.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said the call out was at 2.46pm and three Inverness units and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the flames using hose reel jets. The fire was extinguished an hour later at 3.47pm.
