Updated: Vehicles destroyed but nobody hurt in Kelso garage fire

A large fire at a Kelso garage destroyed multiple cars and forced the evacuation of 20 nearby properties this week.
Cars damaged during a blaze at a garage in Spylaw Road, Kelso.Cars damaged during a blaze at a garage in Spylaw Road, Kelso.
Cars damaged during a blaze at a garage in Spylaw Road, Kelso.

It took firefighters almost five hours to tackle the blaze at Spylaw Motors car garage in Kelso on Monday.

Nobody was injured by around 20 nearby premises in Spylaw Road Industrial Estate were evacuated as thick black smoke engulfed the area and loud bangs were heard across the town.

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Six fire engines, including crews from Kelso, Coldstream, Jedburgh, Galashiels and Hawick were among the first on the scene at the fire involving a number of cars within the garage building there, which broke out around 11.10am.

The apparent cause of the fire at a garage in Spylaw Road, Kelso/The apparent cause of the fire at a garage in Spylaw Road, Kelso/
The apparent cause of the fire at a garage in Spylaw Road, Kelso/

The last crew remained in place until the fire was completely extinguished around 3.30pm.

Spylaw Road was closed in its entirety from the Station Road junction, and urgent access to traffic was given through Border Concrete’s yard at the west end of town.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 11.07am on Monday, February 17 to reports of a fire within a commercial premises on Spylaw Road, Kelso.

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“Six fire appliances were immediately mobilised to the scene, where crews worked to extinguish a fire involving a volume of cars within a single-storey garage workshop.

“There were no reported casualties, and nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution.

“The fire was extinguished by 3pm, and one fire appliance remained on scene for a short time after before the premises was handed over to site-owners.

“The last fire appliance left the scene at 3.28pm.”

The industrial estate is home to a number of businesses including the town’s Castlegate nursery and out of school club, which, assured parents of children there that everyone at the nursery was safe.

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Those evacuated from nearby workplaces, have since praised staff from nearby Sainsbury’s supermarket at Pinnaclehill for coming to their aid throughout the afternoon.

Wendy Young, who works nearby, wrote to the store’s social media account: “A big thank you to the lovely staff in Sainsbury’s Kelso today. We were evacuated from our work places following the fire and we were standing in the cold for near on two hours. They brought us out hot soup and drinks and we really did appreciate your kindness and the shelter in your entrance.”

Nobody at Spylaw Motors was available for comment.