Princes Street Fire: Historic Edinburgh Building Severely Damaged

A historic building on Edinburgh's Princes Street has been severely damaged in a large fire, raising concerns about fire service cuts.

A historic building on Edinburgh’s Princes Street has been severely damaged in a large fire, raising concerns about fire service cuts. The blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning, has left the disused Debenhams building in ruins, with the roof and top floors completely destroyed.

The Fire Brigades Union has warned that cuts to fire services are risking the ability to keep communities safe. The union has pointed to the recent blaze as an example of the increasing danger and heightened risk faced by businesses and communities as firefighters and fire appliances continue to be cut across the country.

The Fire and Its Aftermath

Emergency services were called to the old Debenhams building on Princes Street at 2.52am on Thursday morning. The adjacent block above the former River Island and Levi’s stores at 109 Princes Street was also ablaze, including part of the former department store.

Firefighters remained at the scene for several hours, dampening down hotspots after largely extinguishing the blaze. The roof and top floors of the disused B-listed building have been destroyed, with the rest of the structure left blackened and charred on the inside.

At the height of the incident, seven fire engines and three specialist appliances were on the scene. By 11am four fire engines and two height appliances remained in attendance.

Concerns Over Fire Service Cuts

The Fire Brigades Union in Scotland has expressed concerns over the impact of budget cuts on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The union has pointed out that the service has seen its budget cut by almost £74 million per year and lost almost 1,250 jobs since its creation in 2013.

John McKenzie, regional secretary of the Fire Brigades Union in Scotland, said: “This fire is yet further evidence of the importance of a rapid and effective response from firefighters to emergency incidents, and underlines the risks of cuts to that response.”

The union has also highlighted the recent campaign to save Marionville fire station from closure. The campaign, involving local residents, the Fire Brigades Union community groups, and local politicians, persuaded fire chiefs to drop their proposal to close the station in Lochend as part of a Scotland-wide review of fire services.

The Impact on Communities

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has warned that the closure of fire stations could mean response times are up to six minutes slower. The union has also pointed out that since 2013 one in six firefighter jobs has been lost, which is more than 1,200 jobs.

Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour party, has also expressed concerns over the impact of cuts on the fire service. He said: “We know that there are now fewer firefighters, less firefighting equipment, longer response times and station closures. Our Fire and Rescue Service has already faced years of cuts.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment on the recent fire and the impact of budget cuts on the fire service.