An electrical fault which caused a gas leak drama in Windygates could have been caused by twisted cables, The Courier understands.
A faulty electricity pole has been blamed for a potentially deadly power surge, which caused gas pipes to go live and triggered a fire in a house in Balcurvie on Saturday night.
Other residents in the area reported humming coming from electricity meters, and also bangs and pops from electrical appliances.
When emergency crews arrived, electrical bolts were arcing from overhead power cables and there was a smell of gas. Scottish Power said that engineers were still investigating the cause of the fault.
A spokeswoman for the company was reported as saying livestock could have disturbed the pole by rubbing up against the supports and causing it to come loose.
However, reports cows had rubbed up against the pole have since been rubbished by a Courier source. It has also been suggested a horsebox could have knocked the conductors loose.
And a resident said workmen in the area had been overheard talking about twisted wires.
Meanwhile, the family at the centre of the drama said they were still in shock. After being alerted to a smell of smoke by daughter Megan (16), Blair and Liz MacDougall discovered a gas pipe in the kitchen had gone on fire.
The gas was disconnected and the family escaped unscathed. Mr MacDougall said he was told there were pockets of gas underneath his home which could have exploded.