A BUTCHER watched on in horror as his shop went up in flames after a bizarre electrical fault led to a fire.
David McKay was serving customers on Saturday (June 29) when the ground beneath his shop floor began to vibrate and the lights flicker.
Smoke started to billow out from drains outside the shop, before David decided to get everyone out of harm’s way.
David told the Ayr Advertiser: “The power flickered, and we could hear this loud bang.
“We got everybody out and we were all a safe distance away.”
Only half an hour earlier there were reports of power outages at a nearby chemist, which prompted a call to Scottish Power.
The vibrations could be felt up the street with David’s sister saying customers in Semi Chem 100 yards away could feel them.
A witness of the scene described seeing the mono block pavement outside the Butchers rise up, with onlookers fearful it could explode.
David Kiltie who made the 999 call to the Fire Brigade said: “It was unbelievable. I have never seen anything like it.”
Fire crews rushed to the scene but were unable to prevent the flames reaching the shop.
David McKay added: “The fire brigade went in and could see that the flames had started in the shop. It’s not a big shop but within a matter of minutes my ceilings caught fire and the whole place went up.
“They had to hammer holes in the roof to get to the fire and stop it from spreading.
“It’s just lucky that the buildings are sandstone, or it could have been a lot worse.”
“It all happened so quick.
“It went from something happening in the street, smoke coming out the ground to everything gone in 10 minutes.”
A lifetime of memories were burnt down, as David owner of the shop for five years had spent 30 years working there.
Despite the damage to his business and livelihood, the butcher was relieved that no one was hurt as the fire could have been worse.
David added: “I’ve been in that shop since 1989.
“It wasn’t nice to see it burn down, but we all got out safe and that’s the main thing.
“No one was hurt.
“All of my customers are safe and all of our staff are safe.”
A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 12.08pm on Saturday, July 29 to reports of a fire within a shop on High Street, Maybole.
“Operations Control mobilised three fire appliances to the scene, where crews extinguished the fire.
“There were no casualties. Crews left at 5.19pm.”
A spokesperson for Scottish Power said: “Scottish Power are aware of the incident and are currently investigating.”
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