Fire crews extinguish blaze that destroyed Lanarkshire garage

A large fire has devastated a garage in South Lanarkshire.

Fire crews battled overnight to extinguish the blaze on Bothwell Road, Uddingston, and were able to leave the scene earlier after making the area safe.

The roof of a building collapsed at the height of the fire and the road still remains closed. A total of six appliances and a high-reach platform were used to tackle the fire at its peak.

No casualties were reported, though witnesses described an explosion and flames rising 60 feet (18m) into the air.

The affected garage and MOT centre is next to a BP petrol station and Tesco superstore. The Tesco remained closed on Tuesday morning.

Eyewitness Laurie Bradley said: "I just heard explosions and walked round. Flames were 60 feet in the air."

Ross Campbell, who lives nearby, watched as the fire engulfed the garage.

"It started at the back, then the fire spread and roof collapsed," he said.

"It's quite scary and you can see the smoke for miles."

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said it was alerted about 18:00 on Monday to the fire breaking out.

They added: "At its height, six appliances, one high-reach vehicle and specialist resources were mobilised to the scene, where firefighters worked overnight to extinguish the fire affecting a mechanical garage.

"There were no casualties, and crews left at approximately 09:30 on Tuesday, after ensuring the area was safe."

Social media posts by locals added that the entire garage was wrecked after the blaze, while online crowd-funders have been set up for affected workers.

Police closed Bothwell Road at Main Street, Douglas Gardens and Old Glasgow Road, with diversions in place.

People are urged to avoid the area while emergency services are on the scene and nearby residents were advised to keep their windows closed.

Posting on X, South Lanarkshire Council said: "The B7071 Bothwell Road in Uddingston remains closed due to the fire last night."