Firefighters still battling fire which broke out Edinburgh caravan site earlier today

Firefighters are still battling a blaze which broke out at a caravan site in the south of Edinburgh earlier today.

Firefighters were called to the site at the end of Burndene Drive, close to the Burger King at Straiton Retail Park, at about 1:30pm this afternoon.

Eye-witness Lee Simpson said he overheard others at the scene saying the fire started in a shed, before spreading to a fence and a nearby home.

He said: "I saw one property which has definitely gone but it looks like at least three properties could be gone now. I think the most it could take out is about six properties but it depends how quickly they get it under control."

A plume of black smoke billows up above the Straiton area.

Mr Simpson said the fire could spread easily because there is only about 5ft between each property in part of the site.

And he says part of the caravan site has been sealed off due to the presence of gas cylinders outside people’s mobile homes.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) spokesperson confirmed the fire started in a shed before spreading to nearby “static homes” and that there were seven fire engines, including specialist command, at the scene as of about 5:30pm.

The spokesperson said SFRS had not received any reports of injuries.

Mr Simpson, who lives just across the road in the Burnbank estate, said it appeared firefighters were struggling to contain the fire earlier in the afternoon and that no hydrant – a port to connect a hose to the water mains – was available on the unserviced site.

Pictures from the scene show firefighters using hose reel jets to extinguish the flames inside one of the homes.

Police were also in attendance.

It is not yet known how the fire started.