Fire crews are tackling a horror blaze in North Lanarkshire this evening.
Emergency services raced to Stewarton Street in Wishaw after the alarm was raised at around 2.30pm on Wednesday. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said six fire appliances were mobilised and firefighters are still working to extinguish the blaze.
They also confirmed that one casualty is in the care of ambulance crews. A number of roads have been closed off and locals are advised to avoid the area. Pictures taken from the scene showed smoke billowing up into the sky as crews battled the blaze.
Dannuka Meyer, who is manager of nearby ice cream shop Crollas Gelato, said at its height there was “a lot of smoke”. She told Glasgow Live: “I had to close the door because there was so much smoke, and we aren’t even that close. We have had to shut the shop just now, but emergency services are here and they seem to be getting it under control.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were alerted at 2.27pm on Wednesday to reports of a building on fire at Stewarton Street, Wishaw. Operations control mobilised six fire appliances to the scene where firefighters are working to extinguish a fire affecting a building. One casualty is in the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service and crews are still in attendance.”
Police Scotland said a number of buildings close to the blaze have been evacuated “as a precaution”. They added that Stewarton Street is closed between East Academy Street and Graham Street, with drivers being urged to use alternative routes.
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