THE owner of a taxi firm devastated when fire ripped through its premises last week has expressed his relief that no one was hurt in the blaze at their Woodend Industrial Estate base.

A total of seven fire appliances helped bring the flames under control at Cowdenbeath's Taxi Service last Tuesday morning.

Owner, William McDonald, told the Times this week that they are still managing to operate despite the incident.

"Everyone is fine, that is the main thing," he said.

"My insurance people were not coming until Tuesday but we are managing to limp by although we are three buildings missing!

"We are managing to get through though.

"It is the workshop that has taken the hit and there was a minibus being worked on and a pick-up truck outside sitting next to it but they are away".

He added: "The taxis, we got them all out quickly and we had a little extension cable so we managed to get the phones working.

"The reaction from the community has been brilliant. We could not ask for more. "We were offered help to do the big clean-up but that has to wait on the insurance people coming. Hopefully things will start moving after that."

As reported by the Times last week, local residents heard several explosions which caused their houses to shake just before 8am last Tuesday.

At the time, the firm confirmed that they had three members of staff on site and, in stressing that they would be looked after, thanked the public for their messages of concern.

On Twitter, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP, Lesley Laird, said that she was awaiting an official report from the emergency services, wrote: "Thankfully, those near the explosion at the time managed to escape without injury, but I understand the damage to some units has been devastating."