Edinburgh tourist favorite Calton Hill as firefighters battle gorse blaze as thick smoke erupts from beloved landmark near city center
- Four fire engines deal with fire at historic Edinburgh landmark
- The fire is caused by a fire in the Gors bushes on Calton Hill
- No casualties reported as wildfire spreads, spewing smoke
A massive fire has been seen destroying a landmark in Edinburgh, sending smoke into the Scottish city.
Firefighters arrived at the scene of the massive fire at around 3 p.m. to tackle the wildfire that was spreading through the gorse bushes on Calton Hill.
The plant – which can be highly flammable – engulfed the city center, a five-minute walk away, in a layer of thick black smoke.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent four fire tenders to the scene and there were no reports of any casualties.
A massive fire has been seen destroying an Edinburgh landmark, sending smoke into the Scottish city
Firefighters arrived at the scene of the massive fire around 3 a.m. to tackle the wildfire that was spreading through the gorse bushes on Calton Hill.
The area is home to the historic Royal High School building and the Nelson Monument, which commemorates his death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: ‘Four equipment is in place and we are currently dealing with a major fire.’
The area is home to the historic Royal High School building and the Nelson Monument, a pillar commemorating his death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Edinburgh Central MSP Angus Robertson tweeted: ‘Very distressing and dramatic view from Central Edinburgh with the fire on Calton Hill by the Historic Royal High School building.
‘Best wishes to the emergency services on the spot.’
This photo shows a wildfire at the Edinburgh City Center landmark Calton Hill
The fire sits in the distance as the buildings appear largely untouched by the fire
One person wrote on Twitter: ‘The air is absolutely thick with the smoke from the Calton Hill fire. Hope they get it under control and no one gets hurt.’
It appeared to be coming to an end this evening as social media users shared pictures and videos of red hot flames turning gray.
A social media user attributed the dry weather to the Gaura fire.
He said: ‘Everything is dry. It has been raining very little in Edinburgh for the last four months.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said it could be ‘highly flammable’ if not removed properly.