Fire Ravages Edinburgh's Old Town

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 09, 2002

Fire Ravages Edinburgh's Old Town

A massive blaze that has destroyed parts of Britain's Edinburgh's historic Old Town may not be fully extinguished for two days, fire chiefs said on Sunday.

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A massive blaze that has destroyed parts of Britain's Edinburgh's historic Old Town may not be fully extinguished for two days, fire chiefs said on Sunday.

The fire, which broke out shortly after 8 pm on Saturday night, has gutted 13 properties and forced local authorities to evacuate about 150 people from their homes.

Firefighters said that after 18 hours tackling the blaze they now had it under control, but said there were still pockets of fires burning within the complex network of lanes and alleyways.

Police and the fire brigade were investigating the cause of the blaze.

The Old Town is the heart of Scotland's capital city and is listed as a World Heritage site.

The cobbled Royal Mile forms the spine of the Old Town, running from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse - Queen Elizabeth II's official residence when she stays in Scotland.

A network of cobbled alleyways, medieval courtyards and lanes branch off along its length, containing historic buildings such as St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh University, the City Chambers and the Royal Museum of Scotland.

Although firefighters said no medieval or listed buildings had been damaged by the blaze, several well-known properties were, including the Guilded Balloon - a comedy venue for the Edinburgh Festival.

Edinburgh City Council said structural engineers would assess whether any buildings needed to be pulled down once the fire had been extinguished.

The brigade's senior divisional officer Graham Torrie described the blaze as 'certainly the biggest fire in Edinburgh in living memory'.

Part of the Old Town which has been damaged by the fire is the Grassmarket, a former market place dating back to the 15th century which bustles with bars, cafes and restaurants.

More than 80 firefighters were still fighting pockets of fire on Sunday and trying to ensure that gusting winds did not spread the flames to historically and architecturally significant buildings.

One firefighter has been taken to hospital with an injured knee.

Source: Agencies

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