Staff had to be evacuated 200 metres from an Angus quarry warehouse on Wednesday after an industrial gas cylinder caught fire.
Firefighters were called to the blaze at Breedon Aggregates at Ethiebeaton near Monifieth around 2.30pm, following a call from an employee in the workshop area. The large acetylene canister caught alight at the neck and was spouting a flame when two fire crews from Balmossie and one from Dundee Kingsway arrived on the scene.
The incident meant the nearby David Lloyd gym had to be evacuated.
Station manager Stuart Cuthill said the cylinder would be left to burn out and no attempt would be made to douse the fire, in case hazardous gas escaped.
“In incidents such as these we cordon off a 200-metre area around the cylinder and allow the gas to burn in a controlled way,” he said. “The staff have been asked to stay back and will be escorted down to evacuate their cars from the road.
“The problem is that in the past we have had cylinders that have exploded and they can travel quite a distance.”
Tayside Fire and Rescue were to remain on scene for 24 hours to ensure the cylinder was appropriately cooled. Police were also to remain in attendance to assist in managing the safety cordon.
A member of staff said none of the employees was allowed to comment but confirmed they were all quickly evacuated from the office adjacent to the workshop.
Around 15 workers were congregated at the fire assembly point near the entrance to the quarry site but most appeared to have left by around 4pm.