The landlord at a popular pub was pulling pints for his regulars again last night after an electrical fire which closed an entire street for several hours.
Colin Cameron, the owner of the Masada Bar in Aberdeen, smelled smoke coming from property’s cellar, and when he investigated found a large blaze taking hold below the Rosemount viaduct premises.
After evacuating the bar, it took almost 30 firefighters and six fire engines to contain the blaze and stop it from spreading to flats above and nearby properties.
And thanks to the quick work of the fire brigade, it was business as usual for Mr Cameron’s again yesterday as Masada reopened its doors at 11am.
Mr Cameron said last night: “It’s been a busy day today, partly through curiosity, but I’m just delighted it wasn’t worse, as there were a lot of combustible consumables in the store room that could have caught fire.”
Mr Cameron said going back into the premises after Monday night’s drama was like “boarding the Mary Celeste”.
He said: “There were pints lying over the place, darts stuck in the board and change still on the bar.
“We had the cleaners come round early this morning, an electrician, a plumber, a glazier, and the brewers all helped us open back up.
“The only major problem was clearing out the cellar which was flooded, caused partly by the water the guys used to put the fire out, and partly by a burst pipe.
“The cooker had been on, so I was down to check on that, when I noticed that a fire was coming up and out of our store area, and it was big enough for me to think that I’m not going to be able to handle this on my own with a fire extinguisher.
“By that time the alarm was going off, so the customers headed out. I called 999, and I clocked the fire brigade as taking just three minutes to come, which is a pretty good response time, it was a great service and they did a good job clearing everyone out of the nearby flats.
“We’re happy it wasn’t worse, and the darts team are happy they’ll be able to play again for what will hopefully be their 12th win in a row.”