Fire crews rush to Edinburgh's Princes Street to tackle huge blaze

A section of the major road has been closed in both directions

The blaze was reported in the early hours of Thursday morning
Author: Thomas McCannPublished 9th Jul 2026

Fire crews have been tackling a large fire on Edinburgh's Princes Street at the Old Debenhams building.

Emergency services were called to the scene just before 3am on Thursday morning.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said 10 appliances had been sent to tackle the flames, including specialist units. Firefighters could be seen using a height appliance to extinguish the fire, which reached the top of the building.

There were no reports of any injuries.

Pictures posted on social media showed flames and plumes of smoke rising from the area, while public transport in the city centre has been affected. Lothian Buses has confirmed multiple services through the city centre have been diverted.

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