Man treated for smoke inhalation after fire at Haa of Sand

A man was treated for smoke inhalation after a fire at the Haa of Sand this morning. Firefighters were called to a blaze in an upper floor of the three-storey listed building just before 9am.

Fire crews from Lerwick, Scalloway and Bixter went to the blaze and used four sets of breathing apparatus to tackle the fire. They cut away part of the hearth, floor boards and joists as well as plasterboard in the ceiling in the room below to gain access to the fire. Thermal imaging cameras were used to check for fire behind the walls around the hearth. Around one square metre of floorboards and joists were affected and electrical wiring was damaged by the fire. There was also slight smoke damage to the whole room.

Fire crews administered oxygen to the man and he was checked by an ambulance crew but did not need to be taken to hospital.

The Haa dates from 1754 with the principal rooms on the first and second floor panelled in Norwegian pine.