Balmoral Hotel guests evacuated after smoke seen in basement

Guests were forced to evacuate from Edinburgh’s historic Balmoral Hotel after a smoke started to generate from the building’s basement.

Emergency services were called to the hotel on Princes Street at around 10.53pm on Sunday, with four fire and rescue appliances sent to the scene.

It’s understood guests were asked to leave as a “safety precaution” as the fire service erected a cordon outside the hotel.

The hotel said that the alarm was raised after a fault in the extraction system, causing smoke to gather in the basement.

There were no casualties as a result of the incident.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 10.53pm on Sunday, May 26, to reports of a fire within the basement of the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street, Edinburgh.

“Operations Control mobilised four fire engines and a height appliance to the scene, where crews extinguished the fire.

“There were no casualties, and crews left the scene after ensuring the area was made safe.”

A Spokesperson from The Balmoral ‘said: “At 22.49pm last night the fire alarm was sounded caused by a fault in the Hotel’s extraction system generating smoke in the basement.

“Our guests and staff were evacuated as a safety precaution whilst the Fire Brigade investigated the source. The all clear was given approximately one hour later and normal service resumed.”