Forfar town centre has been completely closed by a massive blaze in a former bingo hall.
The fire has ripped through the former Pavilion hall in Queen Street after breaking out around 1.30pm on Sunday.
Fire crews from Angus and Dundee are at the scene and the incident has drawn a large crowd of onlookers in the town centre.
Flames leapt around 50 feet in the air from the building, which has been closed for more than ten years.
Cracking from burning building could be heard three miles away
A thick plume of smoke could be seen for a considerable distance in the clear skies around the town.
BREAKING NEWS. A major blaze has broken out in Forfar centred on the old Pavilion bingo hall. pic.twitter.com/HNiwlqWdAs
— Graham Brown (@C_GBrown1) November 29, 2020
One onlooker who arrived near the scene said they had heard cracking from the burning building more than three miles away.
They described the noise as being so loud it sounded like gunfire.
The blaze was also witnessed by Forfar councillor Lynne Devine.
“I looked out of my window and just saw this huge pall of smoke,” she said.
“There were terrible cracks and bags and things going up in the air,” she added.
“It is frightening that this has happened to such a large building in the centre of a town.
“It is a small street and there are many other buildings and houses around so I really just hope they are all okay.
“It really is very, very frightening to see such a big fire in Forfar.”
