A woman remains in a critical condition in hospital after her clothing caught fire on a busy Edinburgh street. The incident occurred on St Leonards Street, outside a block of residential flats, at around 12:10pm on Monday, June 22, 2026.
Distressing Scene Unfolds
Distressing footage, seen by the Daily Record, shows the woman writhing on the ground and attempting to kick off her trousers as flames engulfed the lower half of her body. The footage was deemed too distressing to publish. Passers-by, including two Royal Mail workers, tried to help by using clothing and a blanket to smother the flames. A woman also ran towards the scene and threw water at the flames, but her efforts were unsuccessful.
Emergency Response
The woman suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to hospital, where she remains in a critical condition. Firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames before leaving the incident with police. The cause of the fire remains unclear, but police stated there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 12.10pm on Monday, 22 June, 2026, police were called to a report of a seriously injured woman outside flats on St Leonards Street, Edinburgh. The woman was taken by ambulance to hospital where medical staff describe her condition as critical. There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. Enquiries are ongoing."
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "We received reports of a fire at Carnegie Court Corner on Bowmont Place at 12.10pm on Monday June 22. Two appliances were mobilised and extinguished the fire. The incident was left with Police Scotland."
