Firefighters battle tyre blaze

FIRE crews in the capital have been fighting to contain a fire of 50 tonnes of tyres in a quarry.

A team of 46 firefighters from Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue were called to the incident in Craigpark Quarry in Ratho, Edinburgh, around 6.20am this morning.

A spokeswoman for the service said the blaze has been brought under control but officers remain at the scene and an investigation into the cause will begin later.

No one was injured in the fire but a representative from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has been at the scene to monitor a large plume of smoke caused by the burning tyres.

It was the second large-scale incident for the force through the night after an explosion at a pharmaceutical processing plant.

Officers were called to MacFarlan Smith on Wheatfield Road, Edinburgh, around 12.15am.

Firefighters had to wear protective chemical clothing after a small explosion started a fire on the second floor of the building.

The site operates 24 hours a day but no one was injured in the incident and 28 firefighters extinguished the blaze by 4.30am.

Damage has been caused to pipelines in the processing room and the service said an investigation is ongoing into the cause of the explosion.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue also dealt with an explosion this morning, leading to the evacuation of 30 people from their homes.

Police and the fire service were called to Turfholm, Lesmahagow, at 10.20am after an incident at a house.

A man, aged 73 and a 72-year-old woman were removed from the house and taken to Wishaw General Hospital for treatment for minor injuries and shock. Police said they have now been released into the care of family members.

Ten surrounding properties, housing 30 people, were evacuated as a precaution.

Emergency services and gas engineers remain at the scene and are investigating the cause of the explosion.