Firefighters tackle blaze George IV Bridge in Edinburgh city centre
Firefighters tackle huge blaze in Edinburgh city centre: One person is taken to hospital as fire rips through two cafes on George IV Bridge
A large fire has broken out at a building on George IV Bridge in central Edinburgh this morningNine fire engines and two ‘height appliances’ have been sent to the scene with several roads closed offEmergency crews reported one person being taken to hospital and have urged people to avoid the area
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A huge fire has broken out in central Edinburgh this morning, engulfing two cafes as emergency services rush to tackle the blaze.
The alarm was raised after smoke was seen coming from a building on George IV Bridge at around 6am today.
Nine fire engines and two cranes have been dispatched to the scene with members of the public being asked to avoid the area if possible.
One person had to be taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. It is not known if they were injured in the fire.
The blaze is believed to have affected two cafes, one of them being the popular Elephant House which is said to have inspired JK Rowling as she wrote her first Harry Potter novels.
David Taylor, the owner of Elephant House, told the BBC that the fire had not spread to the building, but it had suffered smoke and water damage.
‘I feel absolutely gutted about this,’ he said. ‘At best, we can hope for opening in a few weeks time, but if there is structural damage too then it isn’t bearable to think about.’
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We received a call at 0639 hours today to attend an incident at George IV Bridge in Edinburgh with our first resource arriving on scene at 0646.
A large fire has broken out at a building on George IV Bridge in central Edinburgh this morning. Huge billows of smoke could be seen pouring from windows
Nine fire engines and two height appliances have been sent to the scene with members of the public being asked to avoid the area if possible
Ambulance crews confirmed that one person had been taken to hospital nearby from the scene
The blaze is believed to have affected two cafes, one of them being the popular Elephant Room (with red frontage) which is said to have inspired JK Rowling as she wrote her first Harry Potter novels
‘We dispatched two ambulances, one advanced paramedic and our special operations team to the scene.
‘We transported one patient to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.’
Edinburgh’s streets remain busy with visitors attending the annual Fringe Festival, which continues into the weekend.
Tour bus routes have been diverted away from George IV Bridge, an elevated road that intersects the royal mile. Other attractions including the National Library of Scotland have said they will close for the rest of the day.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: ‘We were alerted at 6.18am on Tuesday August 24 to reports of a building on fire at George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.
‘Operations Control mobilised nine appliances and two height vehicles to the scene where firefighters are tackling a fire affecting a number of properties.
‘Crews are still in attendance.’
Police Scotland said in a statement: ‘Our officers are currently assisting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dealing with a large fire at George IV Bridge.
‘Please be aware that there are numerous road closures in the vicinity of George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row at present and avoid the area where possible.’
The fire is believed to have started in the Elephant Room, a popular cafe said to have inspired writers including JK Rowling
Firefighters have been seen using cranes to tackle the blaze from above
Police Scotland said in a statement: ‘Our officers are currently assisting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dealing with a large fire at George IV Bridge’
