A school has been evacuated and residents warned to keep their windows and doors shut as firefighters tackle a blaze within a block of flats in Edinburgh.

The alarm was raised shortly after 3pm on Wednesday.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service mobilised 10 appliances to the scene at Craigmount Brae along with specialist resources.

Nearby East Craigs Primary School has been evacuated as a precaution.

A fire service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 3.08pm on Wednesday 14 June to reports of a fire within a block of flats in Edinburgh.

“Operations control mobilised 10 fire appliances plus specialist resources to the city’s Craigmount Brae, where firefighters are currently working to extinguish a fire within the building’s roof space.”

An image posted online shows the block of flats engulfed in flames as smoke billows into the sky.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Read more:
Emergency crews tackle wildfire in the Highlands
Smoke from massive wildfire visible from space
Nearly six square miles of land burnt

Police Scotland is providing support.

The force posted on Twitter: “Officers are in attendance to assist with traffic management due to a fire at a property on Craigmount Brae, Edinburgh.

“A school nearby has been evacuated as a precaution. People are advised to avoid the area and local residents should keep windows and doors closed.”

Related posts:

‘We want this lockdown to be the last’, says PM plans for ‘irreversible’ easing of COVID restrictions Will the UK meet its next COVID vaccine target? Here’s what the data suggests More than half of people support Met police handling of Sarah Everard vigil – survey Paralympic world champion ‘speechless’ after being told her sprint briefs ‘too short and inappropriate’ ‘It became normalised’: Ex-parliamentary adviser says Yvette Cooper received 50 death threats a week Pandemic shines ‘harsh light’ on rising obesity in young people In pictures: Storm Franklin fells trees and brings more flooding Jail sentences of two men who kidnapped teen before she was found seriously injured referred for being ‘unduly lenient’ Smiling Queen views hand-crafted artefacts at Windsor to mark Platinum Jubilee Britain’s substandard bridges: Where are they and why are their numbers on the rise? Civil servants to go on strike, affecting ports, borders and transport over holiday period Tank full of Santas gets stuck during festive pub crawl