A 75-year-old man has died in a fire at a cottage.
The blaze broke out at Eigie House Cottages in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, at about 5.50am today.
Firefighters found the property at number four “well alight” when they arrived at the scene.
“Unfortunately due to this fire there is one fatality and inquiries are at an early stage,” police said.
Three fire service crews from Aberdeen used breathing equipment and two hose-reel jets to put out the flames.
A joint police and fire investigation will now take place to establish the cause of the blaze, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said.
Local senior officer David Rout said: “With the close relationships that exist between Scottish Fire and Rescue Service locally in Aberdeenshire and our partner agencies in Aberdeenshire Council and Police Scotland, we shall be working together to establish the cause with our key aim to prevent fires occurring and protect those most vulnerable at risk within Aberdeenshire communities.”
An SFRS spokesman said: “The tragic loss of life must always bring home the importance of working together to prevent fires and raise awareness of how to be safer from the risk of fire.”
