A family of nine were fortunate to escape on Thursday when their home was totally destroyed by fire.
The couple and their seven children were in the house when it became engulfed in flames but all escaped – however, they now face the prospect of spending Christmas in a local hotel with their home and almost all their possessions destroyed.
A smoke alarm was credited with saving the lives of the family when they were awoken in the early hours at their home in Kininvie, near Dufftown, with fire fighters saying that it was the quick thinking of Agricultural worker Johnny Law and his family that insured they all escaped uninjured.
Around 20 firefighters tackled the blaze but could do nothing to save the property which was completely destroyed along with an adjoining caravan.
Joining crews from Dufftown, Keith and Aberlour was a Scottish Fire Service water tender from Buckie. Senior fire officer at the scene was David Rout, who said: “It is clearly a very difficult and distressing time for the family.
“What this incident does highlight is the importance of having a fully serviceable smoke alarm within your property, if the family had not been woke by their smoke alarm this incident could have been even more devastating.”
Local SNP councillor Mike McConachie said: “I’m very glad that every got out safely – it was a very windy night and the farm is right at the top of a hill, so I guess it would not have taken long for the flames to rip through everything.”