An Aberdeenshire pensioner whose house was destroyed by a devastating fire says he “has nothing left” after his countryside home burned to the ground.
Steve Abrams, 81, has been left homeless following the blaze which struck his home, Mitchell Cottage in Rora, near Peterhead.
Speaking to the Press & Journal outside the building’s charred remains, he described the scene as looking like “a bomb’s hit it”.
Smashed glass and debris were strewn around the site of the cottage, and the smell of smoke still lingered in the air.
Only the beams of the roof have survived with what’s left of the interior exposed to the elements.
Heartbreakingly, the father-of-two believes the ashes of his late wife Kathleen – who died five years ago – have also been destroyed.
The urn which held them was in one of the bedrooms which was gutted by the fire.
All of his photos have also been destroyed. Only a bin, a jacket and some other objects remain intact within the house.
However, Mr Abrams, who lives alone, was able to save his cat from the blaze as he managed to “grab” it and put it safely in the car as the fire ripped through the property.
Building went up with a ‘woosh’
Describing what happened on Monday lunchtime at his Rora property, he said the fire started in the wooden shed that is located in the garden and was used to house petrol cans.
These ended up catching fire, as did the 1,200-litre oil tank that was also located in the shed.
Mr Abrams described how quickly the fire escalated and the ferocity that it took off with, explaining there was a “woosh” sound, before quickly becoming out of control and overpowering the house.
Luckily one of his neighbours saw what was happening and alerted him to it, with both men trying to put it out with a hosepipe. But these attempts were in vain due to there not being enough pressure in it.
Help from Rora neighbours after fire
Now without a home, Mr Abrams – who moved to Scotland with his late wife and daughters Nicola and Vicky from Lincolnshire in the 1980s – praised the help he has got from neighbours.
The former St Fergus Gas Terminal worker says “generous” residents of the small community of Rora – which lies six miles to the north-west of Peterhead – have really helped him in these dark past couple of days.
One neighbour took him in to stay as he works out what the next steps are.
Mr Abrams said he has spent “all day” on the phone to insurance companies, who will come to assess the damage.
“Hopefully they can provide some financial assistance,” he said.
Conversation