Parts of a derelict hospital building continued to smoulder yesterday following a major fire in Aberdeen on Guy Fawkes Night.
Around 70 firefighters were called to the blaze, at Royal Cornhill Hospital shortly after 10pm on Tuesday, which began on an upper storey of an unused building near Berryden Road.
NHS Grampian staff were on standby to evacuate patients in the event of the fire spreading to the current hospital but none of the newer buildings were affected.
At the height of the fire, 10 crews were at the scene along with a command unit, welfare unit, height vehicle and an incident support unit.
Yesterday morning, Berryden Road was closed to the public while five fire crews remained at the scene to fight several small blazes and dampened down the building.
A section of roof collapsed, but a spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said it was “far too early” to put a value on the damage.
Inspector Iain MacLelland said the cause of the fire was as yet “unexplained” and that a joint investigation with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service would be started.
He stressed that officers were keeping an open mind as to how the incident started, but appealed for anyone with information to contact the police.
He said: “We were called shortly after 10pm to a large fire and the situation was made more complex because the derelict building is on a live hospital site.
“Throughout the night we worked very closely with the fire service and NHS Grampian and thankfully no one has been injured.”
John Morgan, station manager for the Formartine and Garioch area, praised the efforts of the rural fire crews that attended the scene.
“Units from Banchory, Peterhead, Kintore and Inverurie attended the fire at Cornhill hospital,” he said.
“Both police and fire service teams are investigating the incident and will gain access to the building once we have determined which areas are safe and which are unsafe.
“There has been structural damage and there was an initial asbestos risk but control measures were put in place.”
Across the city, Aberdeenshire and Moray, firefighters dealt with 155 incidents, 46 bonfires and two attacks on crews, both in Aberdeen.
Julie Fletcher, NHS Grampian’s general manager for mental health and disability services, said: “All patients and staff are safe and no one had to be evacuated.
“There has been some disruption with car parking due to there being restricted movement at the site and the closure of Berryden Road.
“Staff and patients at the hospital were aware of what was happening but many were already in bed at the time.
“Their movements were restricted for several hours while the fire was at its height.”
Proposals for a 300-house development at the old Royal Cornhill site were put forward by NHS Grampian, Stewart Milne Homes and Barratt North Scotland earlier this year but were rejected by planning officials.
Rosemount and Midstocket councillor Bill Cormie said there had been few incidents at the site compared to other empty buildings, such as the former Broadford Works.
He said: “I could not believe it when I looked out of my bedroom window and saw the glow from the fire.
“The building has been empty for at least 10 years but it is very secure with metal girders on some of the windows.
“It is very frightening that it happened late at night for those who live in nearby streets and for those who have relatives in Cornhill at the moment.
“It is concerning that this has happened on Guy Fawkes night when everyone is stretched to the limits.”