Firefighters have issued a warning against setting refuse alight after a blaze in West Kilbride destroyed a holiday hut.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) received reports of a fire on Monday morning and sent two appliances to tackle the incident on Law Brae near Law Castle.

A SFRS said: “We were alerted at 10.36am on Monday, May 25 to reports of a fire within a single storey wooden holiday home on Law Brae, West Kilbride, Ayrshire.

“Operations Control mobilised two appliances to the scene to extinguish the fire.

“There were no reported casualties.

“Crews left after making the area safe.”

The fire was on a row of holiday huts near Law Hill and eyewitnesses described seeing the smoke from over a mile away.

Last month, SFRS were called to 17 fires involving external structures such as sheds, patios, items of garden furniture, and built-up areas of combustible materials.

This is more than double than during the same time period in the last two years (8 in April, 2019 and 7 in April, 2018).

Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens, SFRS Director of Service Delivery, said: “With bin uplift services in many areas still limited during the Coronavirus pandemic, people might be tempted to burn refuse or other materials.

“We cannot stress this enough – lighting bonfires can be dangerous, and we would strongly discourage anyone from attempting to dispose of waste, or other items, in this way. 

“This can often be very unsafe in terms of the risk of fire spread – to your own home and possessions, as well as that of neighbours.”

ACO Stevens said that once lit, fires can be unpredictable and consequences can run outwith the individual's control.

He also highlighted the issues that smoke itself can cause, including polutting the environment and impacting those with respiratory conditions.

He said: “What can initially seem like a small, controlled burn can very quickly spread to sheds, fences or even property, and lead to a number of our firefighters and resources being mobilised.

“While we continue to maintain a high resilience across Scotland, we would seek to avoid any unnecessary demand on our service during this unprecedented time.”