Hotel Evacuated after Fire

Guests and staff were evacuated from a city centre hotel today after a fire broke out.

People spilled out onto Market Street from the Douglas Hotel when the alarm was raised. A Grampian Fire and rescue Service spokeswoman said firefighters were alerted at 8.19am.
She said: “There was a fire in a top floor flat behind the hotel.
“We don’t believe there was anybody in the flat. The hotel has been evacuated.”

A hotel spokeswoman said the blaze was in a building next door: “Everybody had to be evacuated, and nobody was being allowed back into the building.”

Three fire engines, a height support vehicle and firefighters using breathing apparatus were sent out to tackle the blaze. One of the fire engines was sent to the rear of the building to tackle the fire from there. Firefighters had concerns the flames could spread to properties attached to the fire-hit building.

Grampian Police closed a stretch of Market Street between Union Street and Guild Street while emergency crew tackled the flames.

Ann-Marie Wedderburn, manager at Waves hairdressers next to the blaze-hit property, said: “It was quite a shock. We thought the fire engine was just trying to get up Market Street, but then it parked next-door.

“They arrived at about 8.15am and half an hour later I saw the firefighters coming out so I guess they had managed to put it out.”

Dominic Lees, manager at the William Hill branch on Market Street, said: "I think it was one of the flats. There's firemen everywhere, it must have been pretty bad."