Residents are starting to return home after a fire which sparked panic in Kilmarnock last night.
Twenty households were evacuated following the late-night blaze at an electricity sub-station in the town's Knockinlaw Mount.
Around 30 residents were decanted to nearby Onthank Primary School and local hotels amid fears over the fire’s proximity to a gas supply.
Emergency services spent all night at the scene as a safety cordon was erected.
An East Ayrshire Council spokesperson said this lunchtime: “The council’s emergency response team, in partnership with Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue and Scottish Power, evacuated around 20 households who lived in the vicinity.
“The affected residents were initially evacuated to a rest centre established at Onthank Primary School before being moved to local hotels.”
They confirmed that residents were able to return home this afternoon with support from council services.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.40pm on Monday, November 21, officers on routine patrols came across a fire at an electricity sub-station on Knockinlaw Mount, Onthank.
“Officers attended along with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the utilities company.
“A cordon was put in place and a number of resident were evacuated as a precaution.
“Enquiries are ongoing into the cause of the fire and anyone with information that may assist the enquiry should contact officers through 101 with reference number 3630 of 21 November.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 10.37pm to reports of a fire involving an electrical substation on Knockinlaw Mount, Kilmarnock.
“Operations Control mobilised two appliances to extinguish the fire. A number of nearby residents were temporarily evacuated as crews worked to make the area safe.
“There were no reported casualties. A joint investigation with Police Scotland is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.”
An SP Energy Networks spokesperson said: "On Monday evening, there were reports of a fire in the Kilmarnock area, causing around 950 customers to lose power.
"Our engineers were immediately dispatched to resolve the issue. Almost 900 of customers had their power back within the hour, with the remaining restored by the following morning.
"We are supporting the ongoing police investigation."
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