A council yard in Argyll was cordoned off yesterday after a gas cylinder exploded on the premises.
The site off the Oban road in Lochgilphead is where part of Argyll and Bute Council’s fleet of gritters for Mid Argyll and other equipment is stored.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 8.36am following the explosion and Bishopton Road nearby, which has several houses, was closed off for several hours until the area was made safe.
The council is now carrying out an internal health and safety investigation to establish the cause of the explosion. Nobody was hurt.
The only damage to equipment was to the gas cylinder and its associated pipework.
A spokesman for the fire service said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 8.36am on Wednesday August 15 to reports of a fire within a non-domestic building in Lochgilphead.
“Operations control mobilised two appliances to Bishopton Road, where fire fighters were in attendance.
“There were no casualties.
“Crews remained at the scene until the area was made safe.”
Police confirmed that Bishopton Road remained closed for some time to keep people safe.
Nearby neighbours did not hear any noise as a result of the explosion.
Betty Rhodick, a member of Lochgilphead Community Council, who lives at Fernoch close to the yard, said: “We didn’t hear any explosion. Bishopton Road was closed from the corner up to Moneydrain where the yard is. I don’t really know what happened, we just saw and heard the fire service and saw the police re-directing traffic.”
Argyll and Bute Council was unable to provide any details last night about when the yard might re-open.
In November 2016 the council’s fleet and maintenance depot on Soroba Road in Oban was destroyed by a major fire overnight.
Staff who normally worked at the Mill Park depot had to be re-located to the Jackson’s Quarry depot and council offices on Albany Street.
The fire meant that the bin lorries which were stored on site were inaccessible, making bin collections impossible for one day.
Staff had to work over the weekend to catch up with the backlog.
