Remembering Edinburgh's Cowgate fire: The night flames shot into the Old Town sky

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It started like any other Saturday evening - people from all over Edinburgh and beyond heading into town for a good night out, meeting friends - perhaps just for a drink, or a meal, or to enjoy some music or comedy.

It was just a few weeks before Christmas and the lights and decorations added a festive flavour to the atmosphere.

But Saturday, December 7, 2002, would see part of Edinburgh's Old Town devastated by the biggest fire in the city for decades. A total of 13 buildings were destroyed, hundreds of people had to flee their homes and it was amazing that no-one was killed.

The 2002 Cowgate fire was one of the most destructive in Edinburgh's history.The 2002 Cowgate fire was one of the most destructive in Edinburgh's history.
The 2002 Cowgate fire was one of the most destructive in Edinburgh's history.

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The Cowgate fire was started by a single spark in a faulty fusebox in Hastie's Close, where the popular La Belle Angele nightclub was situated. The maze of old buildings in the area - some dating back to 1700 - made it easy for the flames to take hold and the fire quickly spread up through eight storeys to South Bridge.

Among the buildings reduced to ashes were La Belle Angele - which had hosted the likes of Oasis and The Libertines - the Gilded Balloon comedy club, Leisureland Arcade and the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics.

Firefighters tackle the blaze in Edinburgh's Cowgate   Pictrue: Tony MarshFirefighters tackle the blaze in Edinburgh's Cowgate   Pictrue: Tony Marsh
Firefighters tackle the blaze in Edinburgh's Cowgate Pictrue: Tony Marsh

The first alarm was raised at 8.11pm when a small plume of smoke was spotted coming from Hastie's Close. Two minutes later, fire alarms sounded in closed stores up and down South Bridge and the first fire crews from nearby Tollcross station were soon on the scene.

Calls to the emergency services reported smoke in the Leisureland amusement arcade on South Bridge and in the Living Room pub on the Cowgate and it was not initially clear they were both part of the same incident.

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The seriousness of the situation became clear when firefighters sent to Leisureland hacked a hole into the side of a stairwell connecting the two sites to reveal an old lift shaft where the flames were spreading up the full height of the building.

The fire ravaged the Cowgate area, causing severe damage to a number of historic buildings within the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture: Tony Marsh.The fire ravaged the Cowgate area, causing severe damage to a number of historic buildings within the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture: Tony Marsh.
The fire ravaged the Cowgate area, causing severe damage to a number of historic buildings within the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture: Tony Marsh.

More than 80 firefighters battled the blaze and it took 15 hours to bring the fire under control. Crews remained on site for days to make sure it was fully extinguished and there were no hidden pockets of fire in the ruins.

Fire chiefs described the complex labyrinth of buildings as a "rabbit warren" and were reluctant to send firefighters in too soon for fear the structures could collapse. The difficulty of accessing the building caused problems both in fighting the fire and also in conducting the investigation afterwards to determine the cause.

An entire Old Town block of Edinburgh's Unesco World Heritage Site had been destroyed and the fire made headlines around the globe.

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Historic Scotland said at the time it was impossible to quantify the impact of the fire on the historic core of Edinburgh. “What is certain is that many of the buildings’ interiors are irreplaceable. A piece of Edinburgh’s history has been lost”.

Many buildings in the area were reduced to ashes.  Picture: Justin SpittleMany buildings in the area were reduced to ashes.  Picture: Justin Spittle
Many buildings in the area were reduced to ashes. Picture: Justin Spittle | TSPL

The debris of the blaze was cleared away soon after the fire, leaving a derelict gap site which remained for many years.

But in 2014, a £35 million redevelopment was completed on South Bridge, including a 257-bed Ibis hotel, along with a Costa coffee shop and Sainsbury's supermarket.

And down in the Cowgate, there was a welcome return to Edinburgh's nightclub scene by La Belle Angele, rebuilt in a new-look Hastie’s Close.

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