Fire tears through historic Jenners building in Edinburgh

Smoke and flames tear through Victorian-era department store in centre of Scotland’s capital

A huge fire has broken out at the historic Jenners building in Edinburgh.

Flames were seen tearing through what was one of the world’s oldest department stores prior to its closure for restoration in 2021, with thick smoke billowing through the heart of Scotland’s capital.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to fire at the six-storey building just before 11.30am on Monday.

Smoke is seen billowing from the historic building (screengrab)

The Victorian-era property was found “well alight” and a total of 10 fire appliances have been sent to Edinburgh’s East End, where the store straddles Princes Street and Rose Street, two of the capital’s best-known thoroughfares.

No casualties have been reported, but multiple buildings were evacuated, including busy shops and hotels, with the situation described as “carnage” by one office worker.

Emergency vehicles filled the streets nearby, with numerous traffic diversions in place. Edinburgh Bus Station was also closed, Scottish Citylink said – potentially impacting those making longer-haul journeys across Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.

Margaret Black, a 70-year-old retiree who spent 35 years working at Jenners on displays and window dressing told the news site: “It’s really, really sad because it’s a beautiful building I hope there isn’t too much damage and able to contain it so it can be reopened.”

An employee at a nearby business described hearing sirens as they returned from their lunch break to find their workplace evacuated, saying: “It’s such a beautiful piece of architecture, it’s such a shame, especially with it shutting down and lying kind of empty.”

Founded in 1838, Jenners had been one of the longest-running department stores in the world to trade from the same site, having started life as a drapers. The building was redesigned by architect William Hamilton Beattie after the original was destroyed in a fire in 1892.

Smoke pictured billowing out into St Andrew’s Square (Anthony Brown)

The property, near St Andrew’s Square, was bought six years ago by Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen for a reported £50m, having been sold to private investors in 2005 after the Jenners brand and property was bought by House of Fraser.

But the store – remembered fondly by many locals for its lavish Christmas displays – saw its doors closed to shoppers after 183 years, as its landlord failed to reach a deal with high street mogul Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group on extending their tenancy agreement.

Jenners boasted an impressive array of shops over multiple floors (Roz Sheffield via Flickr)

It is now undergoing a four-year restoration project, with plans to turn parts of the building into a hotel, rooftop bar and cafe, alongside a raft of luxury stores.

Footage and images taken by bystanders and journalists showed crowds of locals standing on as firefighters tackled the blaze on Monday, with thick plumes of smoke billowing out into St Andrew’s Square.

One employee at an office in the square described the scene as a “carnage” of vehicles and road closures, writing on Twitter at 1pm: “You can’t see a thing for smoke.”

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 11.29am on Monday January 23 to reports of a building fire at Rose Street, Edinburgh.

“Operations Control immediately mobilised two appliances to the scene and, on arrival, firefighters found a building well alight.

“A further eight appliances, including a high reach, were mobilised and crews remain on scene as they work to extinguish the fire. No casualties have been reported.”

Additional reporting by PA