Fairways fire site could take years to reopen as Inverness Councillor Duncan Macpherson says the blaze could have been much worse if not for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

The burnt out part of Fairways Business Park could be unusable for at least two years following the devastating fire at the weekend, according to an estimate by Inverness South Councillor Duncan Macpherson.

Just after midnight on Sunday multiple fire appliances were called to the site following what later emerged as a deliberate act of fire-raising sparking a police hunt for the culprit.

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Now with traders located at the site left without their premises, Cllr Macpherson believes it could be years before it is brought back into use as he said the blaze could have been much worse if not for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The efforts of the SFRS effectively prevented buildings just metres from the flames including the Inverness Kartway and the Inverness Bowling Stadium from also being engulfed.

“I was talking to a senior fire officer about the fire at Fairways Business Park and I was advised that efforts were made not just to bring the blaze under control but to prevent it from spreading by hosing down nearby buildings,” he said.

“I was there for about 40 minutes and the strength of the fire was absolutely incredible – it was a scene of real devastation, so the work of the SFRS really was decisive.

“When you look at the site of the fire, the Inverness Kartway and the Bowling Stadium and the kitchen of Fairways restaurant, they are just metres away.

“Had there been a strong wind blowing that night, then the likelihood of the fire engulfing the neighbouring Kartway, Fairways Restaurant or the Bowling Stadium then the nearby Travel Lodge could have placed them at risk too.

“I don’t think we can praise the work of the emergency service workers highly enough.

“I reckon it’ll be a two year absence from the site – and that’s a very conservative estimate – until the insurance loss adjusters fully evaluate and settle the claims for building and contents, plus financial losses and then business interruption costs in individual insurance claims.

“Then there is the length of time the planning process would take assuming that is needed and of course the build time”.