Emotions ran high as bulldozers moved in today to begin tearing down a row of Scots houses devastated by fire.
Heartbroken victims of the Whitelee blaze described the moment as “bittersweet” as they watched the first brick fall 13 months on from that fateful day.
Sunday, October 20, marked one year since a row of terraced homes in East Kilbride were destroyed in an accidental fire leaving five devastated families homeless.
The heartbroken families, many of whom have lived in the street for 40 years, have been suffering from the unimaginable loss after a small fire in an upstairs bedroom developed into a raging inferno wiping out neighbouring properties.
After their whole lives went up in smoke, they faced more misery as they fought for their homes to be demolished, pleading for help from South Lanarkshire Council who insisted that they had no powers to intervene and force a demolition to take place at the private properties.
It is understood that one of the properties was not insured and the owner was refusing to have it knocked down, leaving the rest of the homeowners in limbo.
That owner eventually agreed, sparking a proposal by Sedgwick International who aim to reconstruct the five Whitelee properties.
Plans have now been submitted to the council for two central 1.5-storey homes and three two-storey properties at either end.
If plans are given the green light, it is hoped the families could return home in time for Christmas next year.
Donna Buchanan, whose parents Alex and Debbie lost their home in the blaze, had been leading the fight on behalf of the homeowners, for their houses to be demolished.
Speaking today, she said the demolition was “bittersweet” for the long-suffering residents.
“We’re glad that things are finally moving, but it’s bittersweet”, Donna explained.
“We’ve all been here for 40 years so it’s the end of an era. But we’re trying to stay positive and look forward to starting to rebuild our lives again.
“Everyone is upset about the whole situation, but just glad that things are moving forward and looking forward to the houses being rebuilt again.
“We’re not pinning our hopes on it, but would be absolutely delighted if we could get back in for Christmas next year. Whether that’s doable or not depends on the planning permission and start of the build which is weather dependent.
“Fingers crossed when it’s all signed and sealed we can then look to get started on the rebuild. It’s definitely bittersweet though, we never ever thought we’d be in this situation.”
The heartbroken homeowners were forced to relive that tragic day after their homes went on fire once again on May 14.
Seven months on since they fled their blazing properties, their homes caught fire for a second time after vandals struck sparking safety fears at the site.
Donna says the homeowners were “trapped in a nightmare” as spates of vandalism continued to add stress to the agonising situation.
The demolition is expected to be completed within two weeks.
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