The blaze on Edinburgh's Princes Street demonstrates that the fire service "can't face any more cuts," according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). The union highlighted that the fire at the historic building on the Scottish capital's main thoroughfare underscores the importance of local fire stations.
As part of a service delivery review, changes are being made to several fire stations across Scotland. Among the crews responding to the Princes Street fire were firefighters from Marionville station, which was retained following a campaign to save it.
Union Warns of Firefighter Job Losses
Gus Sproul, Scottish regional chairman of the FBU, said: "It shows that we need an appropriate weight of response to deal with these fires effectively and if we see further cuts to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, we'll not be able to do that. We've seen 1,250 firefighter jobs go in the last 13 years. We lost 166 firefighter posts just three years ago. So the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service can't face any more cuts and we need a sustained package of funding from the Scottish Government."
Challenges of Historic Buildings
Similar to the recent fire near Glasgow Central station, Mr Sproul noted that the age of the building on Princes Street presented a challenging task for firefighters. Older buildings such as the one at the old Debenham's site pose "extra risks," he said. The longer crews are at the scene, the longer they are exposed to potentially carcinogenic fumes from the fire.
Mr Sproul also referenced the death of firefighter Barry Martin, who was fatally injured while attending another fire on Princes Street in 2023 at the former Jenners building. He described it as a "sobering moment" and added: "It's a very, very dangerous job that we do and we need the Scottish Government to commit to sustainable funding so we can prevent these kind of things happening in the future."
Government Response and Funding
Scottish community safety minister Kirsten Oswald said: "My sincere thanks go to the SFRS and emergency responders who have worked to safely and effectively contain and extinguish the fire on Princes Street, and I am pleased there were no casualties. We remain in close contact with SFRS and other partners as work continues to keep the area safe, whilst minimising disruption. We are investing almost £436 million in SFRS in 2026-27 – an increase of £23.8 million (5.7%). This will support frontline services and help ensure SFRS continues to deliver the high standards needed to keep communities safe, as demonstrated by the response to the Princes Street fire."
