A HISTORIC building in central Edinburgh has been gutted in an overnight fire, reigniting calls to reverse cuts to Scotland’s fire services.

Firefighters attended the blaze in Princes Street at 2.52am for several hours today.

The roof and top floors of the iconic former Debenhams site were destroyed, and much of the inside left heavily charred.

Six fire appliances and two height appliances fought the fire at its peak.

Fire Brigades Union Scotland regional secretary John McKenzie 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.

“This fire comes a few weeks after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service set out its plan to close a number of fire stations, withdraw fire appliances from others and reduce fire cover.

“It is only because of a tremendous campaign by the local Fire Brigades Union branch that Marionville Station, whose crew turned out to this emergency, will not be closing.”

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has seen its budget cut by almost £74 million per year and lost almost 1,250 jobs since its creation in 2013.

This has seen response times “spiral, impacting firefighters’ ability to keep communities safe,” said Mr McKenzie.

The union will continue to campaign to ensure that MSPs “commit to providing the financial resources the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service needs.”

The B-listed building was due to be made into a hotel after the Debenhams branch closed in 2021, following another fire at the premises.