The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Major blaze guts St Andrews labs
Years of vital university research believed lost in fire
The full extent of damage to a world-leading St Andrews University science building will become clear today after fire ripped through it late yesterday afternoon.
At its height, more than 30 firefighters from across Fife were involved in tackling the ferocious blaze amid fears of hazardous materials in the Biomedical Sciences Building on the North Haugh campus.
A fire alarm in the building was triggered minutes before 5pm.
No one was injured but the four-storey facility shared by the university’s schools of chemistry and biology sustained major damage as fire crews fought for several hours to bring the incident under control.
The fire is thought to have claimed years of valuable research work in fields including chemistry, virology and microbiology.
More than 30 firefighters were involved in tackling a ferocious blaze which ripped through a cutting-edge St Andrews University research building late yesterday afternoon.
Crews from throughout Fife rushed to the world famous university amid fears of hazardous substances within the Biomedical Sciences Building on the North Haugh campus.
There were no reports of injuries and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene overnight and work will begin today on assessing the full extent of the significant damage to the fourstorey research facility.
The blaze tore through the building of Prince William’s alma mater at 5pm after Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received a report of a fire alarm operating.
An SFRS spokesperson said: “Operations control mobilised eight fire engines including a height appliance and specialist resources.”
At its height, the fire was being tackled by crews from St Andrews, Cupar, Tayport, Anstruther, Dunfermline and Glenrothes.
An aerial platform and specialist resources were among the units deployed and firefighters worked for more than four hours to battle the outbreak.
Police threw a cordon around the area and for a period closed all roads into the roundabout leading to St Andrews’ Old Course Hotel.
The blaze is thought to have started on the third floor, with flames clearly visible in a video shot by local man Innes Muir and parts of the building falling to the ground.
Mr Muir, 18, said: “It started off on one corner and then just went through the building.
“Windows were popping out and the town was filled with smoke.
“There was a really strong chemical smell, not like plastic, but something that made it hard to breathe in.”
The Biomedical Sciences Building on the Fife town’s North Haugh is shared by St Andrews’ Schools of Chemistry and Biology.
Built in the late 90s, the four-storey building is shared by St Andrews’ Schools of Chemistry and Biology and houses labs conducting medically focused research in organic and synthetic chemistry, virology and microbiology.
It was the first of its kind to bring cutting edge interdisciplinary biology and chemistry together and BMS is known as a centre of excellence, addressing issues such antibiotic resistance and infectious disease.
Approximately 100 staff and post graduate students work in the building.
Valuable work is thought to have been destroyed by the flames and within hours reports emerged of scientists losing years of research study.
Mid-Scotland and Fife region Conservative MSP Liz Smith said: “This is devastating news and my thoughts are with everyone involved in St Andrews – staff, students and local residents alike.
“l would also like to pay tribute to the emergency services who were obviously on the scene very quickly.”
She added: “It is very important the cause of the fire is investigated as quickly as possible.”
There was a really strong chemical smell, not like plastic, but something that made it hard to breathe in. INNES MUIR