Police patrols increased after Maple Court fire in Alloa

The fire, which originated at the back of Farmfoods on Maple Street, caused locals concern as it continued to grow rapidly.  

The flames were spotted at 9pm on Thursday, September 7, by nearby Asda staff, who phoned 999 once they realised what was happening.

Cara Duff, a staff member at Asda, said: “I noticed the fire just after finishing my shift at about 9pm.

“It seemed like just a small fire but as soon as it got bigger, we were worried it would get a lot worse.” 

Staff reported that customers quickly gathered in the Asda car park as the flames began to explode.

Cara added: “I was concerned that they might have thrown an aerosol spray or something else into it.

“Thankfully, it wasn’t too close to any residential areas and the firefighters managed to put it out quickly.”

It was not immediately obvious what had caused the fire, however, it was later revealed that a recycling bin had been set alight.

Remains of the industrial-sized bin have been left at the scene. 

At around 9.20pm staff witnessed the fire truck heading towards the scene and quickly get it under control.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were alerted at 9.02pm on Thursday, September 7 to reports of a fire in the open in Alloa.

“Operations control mobilised two appliances to the town’s Maple Court, where firefighters extinguished a fire which had taken hold of a quantity of wooden pallets.

“Crews left the scene after working to make the area safe. There were no casualties.”

Meanwhile, Police Scotland have confirmed they will be increasing the number of patrols within the town centre in response to the incident.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Enquiries are ongoing and there will be an increased police presence in the area, with extra patrols over the coming days.”