Firefighters have been battling a blaze at a garage on the main route between Oban and Fort William this morning.
Residents were evacuated from their homes in Appin after Gunn’s Garage caught fire, due to the hazard of gas cylinders being within the building.
62.5mile diversion after garage fire
The A828 Connel to Ballachulish road has been closed since just after 5am when the alarm was raised.
A fire service spokesman said: “We received a call around 5.05am reporting a building on fire at the A828 in Appin.
“We immediately sent out three appliances and crews arrived to find that a garage measuring approximately 20 meters x 30 meters was well alight.
“The presence of acetylene cylinders saw fire fighters implement a 200 meter exclusion zone for the safety of the public and residents of 16 houses were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
“Fire fighters have been working to bring the fire under control using several high pressure jets. They have also been using a thermal imaging camera to monitor the cylinders throughout the operation.
“The exclusion zone has since been reduced to 100 meters and a number of residents have been allowed to return to their homes.
“The incident is ongoing. We expect fire fighters will remain at the scene for some time.
“There are no reports of any casualties or anyone having been in the building.”
