Terrifying moment blaze tears through Edinburgh banana flats as locals watch on

Edinburgh Live

07-06-2025

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Edinburgh locals captured the terrifying moment a fire tore through the iconic banana flats on Friday night.
Cables Wynd House saw a large fire break out around 10.50pm on June 6, with fire services battling the blaze for over eight hours.
Video footage shared with Edinburgh Live shows flames pouring from the windows of a flat near the top floor.
Some residents filmed from the ground while others captured the chaos from inside Cables Wynd flats across a courtyard. Smoke can be seen billowing into the air from the scene.
Police Scotland confirmed the flat was empty at the time and no one was hospitalised following the incident. All residents, bar two households, have been allowed to return to the building.
A message on Cables Wynd House's Facebook called the fire "heartbreaking" and said residents are "waiting for answers" following the "scary experience".
(Image: Supplied)
Locals and politicians took to social media offering words of support to those impacted by the blaze.
Tracy Gilbert, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, announced: "I can confirm that three people were treated at the scene last night for smoke inhalation but thankful did not require hospitalisation. Can I thank the Fire Services, Police Scotland and Edinburgh Council for the response last night. I'm so glad that everyone is safe."
Chas Booth, a city councillor for Leith, said: "Very concerned to hear about this and my thoughts are with all those affected. I'm in touch with council officers about this and I understand staff are in the building this morning helping residents affected."
A concerned local shared: "I wonder how it started and where. Very sad for the people affected. I've never heard this before in 50 years living in Leith."
One resident of Cables Wynd House who captured the shocking footage told Edinburgh Live: "It was bad. I was a scared if someone was in the flat and I thought we were going to have to leave the building in case it started spreading more.
"It was like something exploded. I feel bad for the people [who live there], they have lost all their stuff in the house fire."
The message on the Cables Wynd House Facebook page read: "So tonight has been a really scary experience of a fire in the building, a fast evacuation and worries of lives of those anywhere near those flames.
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"This is a time for all of us to pull together & support each other. In kindness, respect & neighbourly solidarity.
"We are waiting for answers but right now we're focusing on our neighbours who've all been through such a scary experience and those whose homes were damaged in the flats."
A spokesperson from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were alerted to a fire at Cables Wynd House, known locally as the 'banana flats' at 10.49pm on June 6.
"We dispatched nine appliances and departed just after 7.00am on June 7. There are no casualties that we were made aware of."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 11pm on Friday, 6 June 2025, police were advised by SFRS of a fire at a flat in Cables Wynd House, Edinburgh.
"The flat was empty at the time. No one required to be taken to hospital. All residents, bar two households, have been allowed to return to the building. Enquiries into the cause of the fire, which at this time is not being treated as suspicious, are ongoing."
Cables Wynd House was made famous by its appearance in the 1996 film Trainspotting. Built in the 1960s, it has since become an Edinburgh landmark. In 2017 it was given top listing by Historic Environment Scotland - the same level as Edinburgh Castle.