Firefighters tackle large Edinburgh blaze as historic building left in ruins

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Firefighters in Edinburgh are tackling a large blaze at an old department store on Thursday.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received reports of a fire within the building at around 2:50 am on Thursday morning, a spokesperson for the service said in a statement.

The spokesperson said crews worked to contain and extinguish the flames in the morning and were now focused on dampening hotspots.

“Operations Control mobilised six appliances and two height appliances plus supporting resources to the scene,” they said, adding that firefighters were expected to remain at the scene “for some time”.

No casualties have been reported. Some road closures are in place, and drivers and pedestrians have been advised to avoid the area.

Video footage circulating on social media shows huge orange flames and black billowing smoke rising above the building, which is on Princes Street, one of the main roads cutting through the heart of the Scottish capital.

Enquiries into the incident are ongoing, Police Scotland said.

Responding to news of the fire on X, Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party, thanked fire crews for their work.

“Terrible scenes from Edinburgh,” he wrote. “Many thanks to the Fire and Rescue Service for the heroic job they are doing”.

Criterion Capital, which owns the building, had planned to turn it into a Zedwell hotel.

In a statement shared with British media on Thursday, Criterion said its “immediate priority” was the “safety of everyone involved”.

“There have been no reported injuries, and we are liaising with the emergency services and relevant authorities to support them as required,” the company said.