Evacuation after blaze hits hospital

LIBERTON Hospital was partly evacuated after a fire broke out in a storage cupboard.

Around 12 patients and 60 staff escaped the southside hospital, which specialises in care for elderly patients, as the main building was flooded with smoke around 11am yesterday.

Seven appliances and 35 fire crew were called to the scene to extinguish the blaze and ventilate the ground floor.

Fire service group manager Andy Girrity said: "Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the building and extinguished the fire.

"The fire generated a large amount of smoke and because of this the ground floor of the building had to be evacuated.

"At the height of the incident we had seven appliances and 35 crews at the scene."

He added that the fire did not spread, damage was minimal, and that patients were allowed back inside some hours later.

Jackie Sansbury, chief operating officer of NHS Lothian said: "Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service were called to put out the fire and are now investigating the cause."