Terrified family flee home after swirling fire engulfs Kilwinning battery site

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A terrified family fled their home after an inferno engulfed a Kilwinning battery recycling centre late on Monday night.Laura McAulay, who stays across from the Byrehill Place site, was initially advised to keep windows and doors shut after the fire erupted just after 10pm.But as the blaze spiraled into the sky and explosions started erupting from the Fenix Battery Recycling plant, the family, including Linda, her partner, their daughter and dog decided to evacuate the house.When the blaze started, Laura McAulay and her partner were sleeping in the house and their daughter woke them up as she saw flashing lights.

Laura, 35, told Ayrshire Live: "I live in the house right across from where the blaze started, my partner, kids and my dog were at the house when it happened."My daughter woke me up as she saw flashing lights go on for a while then as she woke us fireman was at the door but we missed him so he left a message on the ring doorbell and said there was an incident.

He advised us to stay indoors and shut windows and vents."We watched the full thing unfold, more fire engines arrived and lots of police, whilst black smoke was belting from the building.

Then at 11pm orange flames came from the top of the building. "The banging and popping wasn’t that loud to start with then the fire got really out of control and the noises were like bonfire night."Laura heard that houses behind were told to evacuate so they made the decision to get the kids and their dog and leave the area.