Police are investigating a deliberate fire which tore through a number of shops in the centre of Kilmarnock and led to the partial collapse of the building.
East Ayrshire Council has confirmed that parts of the listed building would need to be demolished “as a matter of urgency”.
The blaze broke out on the ground floor of the four-storey on King Street at about 21:00 on Monday.
The owner of a tattoo studio inside the block told Scotland News he “watched his livelihood burn away”.
Firefighters remain on the scene with closures to roads and nearby businesses in place.
Ch Insp Scott McCurdy said: “We understand the impact this fire has had on local businesses and I want to thank the public for their patience and assistance while we carry out our inquiries.
“We are treating the fire as deliberate and our investigation is ongoing.”
He urged anyone who saw anything suspicious around the time of the fire to contact police.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the building partially collapsed during the fire. Local reports suggested the roof had mostly collapsed.
The SFRS said there were no reports of any injuries, but residents have been warned to keep their windows closed.
A spokesperson said about 45 firefighters, six fire engines and two specialist high reach vehicles were battling the fire at its peak in the early hours of Tuesday.
Two crews and an aerial appliance remain on the scene to make the area safe, they added.
Niky Brown, who owns Hard Luck Tattoo on King Street, said he had “nothing left” following the blaze.
Mr Brown said he was at home when he received a phone call to say the building was alight on Monday night.
The studio only opened at the building in June after Mr Brown poured all his savings into buying the shop outright.
“I just saw my livelihood burn away,” he said. “It’s like something out of a film.
“I can see my shop on the floor, everything I own, every single bit.
“One of the boys had asked on Friday to work on Monday and I said no, I told him to take a day off, so he is lucky because he might have been in there when it happened.”
Mr Brown said local businesses had offered to help him out and he was aiming to “bounce back” in the future.
He added: “I feel awful. Not just for me, everyone has been affected, all the guys in the shop, we’ve all got mortgages, kids, even your dogs need fed.
“Luckily nobody was in the building. No-one has passed away or been hurt, that’s the main thing.”
A fundraiser for the business has already raised over £20,000.
East Ayrshire Council leader Douglas Reid said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident, which came as the council had been working to develop a “new vision” for the town centre.
He said building standards officers had inspected the site and early indications suggested the damage was “worse than we had first imagined”.
Mr Reid added: “For now several local businesses are unable to trade due to safety concerns and road closures, and some have lost stock or incurred operational disruption.
“Several small businesses have been forced to close at short notice, with no clear indication of when they will be able to reopen.
“We won’t know the full extent of the damage until business owners can regain access to their properties, and for some, this could result in a critical loss of income and jeopardise their ability to continue to trade.”
The council leader said the local authority would be launching a recovery fund shortly for local businesses directly affected and separate support for strategic engagement with national chains and larger employers affected.
He said the loss of Bonmarché had raised concerns over job losses, reduced footfall and the longer-term recovery of the town centre.
“The incident presents an economic risk that requires a coordinated and proactive response from the council and our partners,” he added.
Safety concerns
Group commander Paul Storrie from the fire service said local crews called to the scene were met with a “significant fire” and quickly requested back-up.
Mr Storrie told Scotland News: “The building partially collapsed during the incident and that’s why we pulled back our crews to a safe area.
“We have areas cordoned off because of the structure of the building and we’re working with our partners to make sure that we make that area safe.”
He said crews were now dealing with hot spots within the building and would most likely be there for a “considerable amount of time”.
However he added there was no early indication of what caused the fire but SFRS would carry out a joint investigation with Police Scotland.
Cory McLean and Taylor Montgomery, 18, saw the side of the building on fire when they walked past on Monday night.
Taylor said the fire got out of hand really quickly.
He said: “It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen.
“Nowhere should go through this. It is absolutely horrible.
“It’s a good community around the tattoo studio, there’s good people around them and they are making the best of a bad situation.”
King Street remains closed up to its junction with St Marnock Street and Sandbed Lane remains closed.
A number of surrounding roads leading to King Street and Sandbed Lane were closed but have since reopened.
The Burns Mall shopping area was closed but has now reopened.
Scottish Water warned locals that efforts to fight the fire could result in interruptions to their water supply.
East Ayrshire Council urged pedestrians and drivers to avoid the area and keep roads clear.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said inquiries into the cause of the fire were ongoing.
