Edinburgh firefighters battle two fires on same Oxgangs street within minutes during early hours of Sunday morning

Police believe a caravan was torched in Oxgangs in the early hours of Sunday morning, as firefighters battled another fire in a block of flats in the same street.

Firefighters responded to the two 999 calls in Firrhill Drive between 1am and 1:30am on Sunday morning.

No injuries were reported in either incident, although pictures shared online show the caravan was completely destroyed.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We were made aware of a fire at a caravan on Firrhill Drive in Edinburgh shortly after 1.10am on Sunday, 29 November.

The caravan shell in Firrhill Drive, Oxgangs. Pic: Caitlin Barr

"It was extinguished safely by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

"The fire is believed to have been started deliberately and officers are following a positive line of enquiry."

Last night’s fires in Firrhill Drive are not thought to be linked.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) spokesperson said: "We were alerted at 1.26am on Sunday, November 29 to reports of a caravan on fire on Firhill Drive, Edinburgh.

"Operations Control mobilised one fire appliance and firefighters extinguished the flames.

"There were no reported casualties."

It is understood the caravan was located about 20 houses away from the earlier flat fire in the same street which required three fire appliances on scene just before 1:10am. The three-storey building was evacuated but this fire was also extinguished quickly.

Photographs shared on social media show the shell of the caravan surrounded by traffic cones and tape on Sunday morning, with reports of cars being damaged on either side of it.

Details of how exactly the fires started are still under investigation.

Several local residents told the Edinburgh Evening News that the community has been left “shocked” by the incidents, given there have been a number of fires reported in Oxgangs in recent months.

Local councillor Scott Arthur said: “These are clearly concerning events, and I am grateful nobody was hurt – it could have been so much worse. I am also reassured that the police and the fire service are treating this with the seriousness it deserves. I hope those responsible are caught and feel the full force of the law.

"I would urge anyone with any information to call 101. Doing so may save a life.”

Last night’s drama comes two weeks after 28-year-old woman, Rosie Atkins, died in a flat fire in Oxgangs Park.

Last week, the mum of three’s family spoke of their heartbreak and devastation following their loss, and a fundraiser was set up to help with funeral costs.

Rosie’s family described her as a beautiful young woman who loved her family and three young boys very much.

A 40-year-old man was also taken to hospital after this incident, which police are not treating as suspicious.

On September 18, police were also called to a late night car fire in Oxgangs Drive and the force deemed the incident to be a deliberate act.

In mid July, emergency services were called to a late night fire in the stairwell of a block of flats in Oxgangs Drive. Once again, police said they were treating the incident as a wilful fire raising and no one was injured.

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