Fire damages refurbished care home days before residents due in

A refurbished Wester Ross care home was severely damaged following a fire yesterday – just days before residents were due to move back in.

Flames were seen bursting through the roof of Lochbroom House, in the middle of Ullapool, after the blaze started at around 10am(Sunday).

Northern Constabulary last night confirmed it was being treated as suspicious and said an investigation in partnership with the fire service will take place today.

No one is living in the building because of £600,000 works to upgrade it.

Elderly residents have been staying in a local hotel for the duration of the refurbishment but were expected to return in the next week.

Local firefighters were quickly on scene and able to prevent the fire from spreading. But there is extensive damage to the roof, part of which has collapsed.

Crews from Ullapool were joined by colleagues from Achiltibuie and Lochinver, with approximately 20 firefighters helping to tackle the blaze.

It was extinguished after an hour but crews were still on scene yesterday afternoon, using a hydraulic platform to damp down the building and check for hotspots.

Specialist fire investigators were also at the building to begin examinations to ascertain the cause of the blaze.

Fire incident commander John MacDonald, of Inverness, said: “The first crew in attendance held the fire in check and was eventually able to extinguish it after an hour.

“Initially when they arrived they found the fire had breached the roof and flames were issuing from there.

“They did fantastic job in containing the fire to a small area of the roof space.”

He added: “I understand that the building had recently been renovated and was due to be handed back to Highland Council this week.

“It is an absolute disaster for the property.”

One eyewitness, who was one of many residents who contacted the fire brigade, said that he saw flames coming through the roof.

The man, who did not wish to be named, added: “I was outside and heard a sound like a fire cracking.

“I looked round the corner and saw lots of smoke.”

Lochbroom House has been shut for around a year.

The council had to find alternative accommodation for nine residents and the 12 people who attended the day-care service and lunch club at the premises.

The ongoing work to upgrade the building was to modernise and ensure it met National Care Standards.

Ullapool councillor Jean Urquhart said that staff were due to start moving items back into the home today.

She said that it was fortunate no one was in the building at the time.

She added: “This is tragic, but maybe we have been lucky when you think of what could have happened. “The fire brigade were fantastic.

“They were on the spot quickly and did really well in dealing with the fire.”