Residents evacuated amid council office blaze allowed to return home

Several people evacuated as a fire ripped through a former council building have returned to their homes.

Around 50 firefighters worked through the night to tackle the blaze on King Street in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, with photographs on social media showing the offices engulfed in flames and smoke spewing into the air.

People living nearby were ordered to leave their homes as a precaution as the blaze tore through the building, and the town hall was opened as a rest centre.

Most were able to return later on Friday, and the fire service said crews left the scene that afternoon after extinguishing the blaze.

Seven fire engines were sent along with two height vehicles to extinguish the flames, with King Street closed in both directions and nearby Farmeloan Road also shut.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We were alerted at 11.18pm on Thursday October 13 to reports of a fire affecting a building at King Street, Rutherglen.

“Operations control mobilised seven fire appliances and two height vehicles to the area where approximately 50 firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.

“There were no reported casualties and crews have now left the scene.”