A fire which left a house in Stonehaven badly damaged is not being treated as suspicious.
Police last night said they were not treating the incident in the town’s Redcloak Crescent as deliberate.
Four fire engines, two specialist units and police were called to the property at about 7pm on Wednesday night.
The 20-year-old man inside the house managed to get out before emergency services arrived, and was uninjured in the drama.
Yesterday, neighbours said the two-storey property – owned by Langstane Housing Association – had been “completely gutted” and that they did not know where the large family who lived there were now.
A team from the housing association visited the property yesterday to assess the damage, and to ensure the occupants had somewhere safe to stay meantime.
Chief executive Helen Gauld said: “I can confirm that when the association receives a report of a house fire, our first priority is always to ensure that our tenants are safe and well and if their home is unsafe to return to, that they have somewhere to stay.
“In the case of the property fire in Stonehaven, our officers have been out today to make an initial assessment and we will continue to liaise with our tenants and keep them informed about the next stages and what we can do on a practical level.”
Firefighters took about an hour to extinguish the fire, which is thought to have broken out in the living room.
Neighbours reported seeing flames coming from the window, while plumes of thick smoke poured out across the street.