Residents were evacuated from a block of flats in Stevenston following a fire in a ground floor apartment, believed to be the home of an elderly man.

Two appliances from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended the blaze in Grange Court in the early afternoon of Tuesday, November 7. Police officers were also in attendance.

No one was injured in the fire, but police confirmed that 10 flats were evacuated as a precaution and that officers were still on the scene more than three hours later.

Local resident Tom Chard told the Herald that he believed an elderly man lived in the flat where the fire broke out.

He said: “I just heard the sirens and looked out my window and I saw all the smoke. There were two appliances there.

“It was a pensioner’s house. I know the guy was alright because I could see he was outside.”

A spokeswoman from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was unable to confirm that the resident of the flat was an elderly man, but said: “The householder was there but was out of the house before we arrived.”

She added: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 12.31pm on Tuesday, November 7 to reports of a fire at a flat in Stevenston.

“Operations control immediately mobilised two fire appliances to the incident at Grange Court.

“Firefighters used powerful water jets to extinguish the fire.

“There were no casualties.

“Crews left the scene at 1.38pm after ensuring the area was made safe.”

A spokesman from Police Scotland said: “Around 12.30pm on Tuesday, November 7, police were called to a report of a fire at Grange Court in Stevenston.

“Enquiries are ongoing. It doesn’t appear to be suspicious.”