Shops evacuated during Montrose fryer fire

A fire in a chip shop fryer forced an evacuation of shops in Montrose.

A blaze was sparked in the fryer of the Little Mermaid chip shop in the town’s High Street at about 11am on Thursday.

The shop’s owner was forced to flee the premises as three appliances from Brechin, Montrose and Inverbervie raced to the scene.

Station commander Bruce Farquharson led the operation to tackle the flames and thanked the police for their cooperation.

Commander Farquharson said: “Fire crews arrived at approximately 10.55am to be confronted with a fire in the chip shop.

“One of the fryers was on fire and we used a total of six breathing apparatus to tackle it.

“There was a lot of damaged sustained to the floor as a result of the fire but that was just part of the process to make sure it didn’t spread.

“We were well-supported by police, who helped keep the area clear while we worked.”

The flames were under control by 11.40am and there were no injuries.