Perth fatal fire expected to cost council £2.6m

A fatal fire in Perth, which led to the eight-month closure of a city centre junction last year, is expected to have cost the local council £2.6m in its response.

A man died, and a girl, eight, alongside another man, 27, were injured when a fire broke out at 41 Scott Street in the early hours of June 14.

A Chihuahua puppy named Vilo was also miraculously rescued from the fire-ravaged tenement after surviving almost two weeks there.

The blaze destroyed several flats and the popular pub, The Royal Bar.

At a meeting of the Perth and Kinross Council’s (PKC) Finance and Resources Committee on April 22, councillors were told the final financial costs are expected to be brought before the committee in June 2026.

PKC’s finance chief, Scott Walker, provided the update as he presented the council’s latest revenue monitoring report to councillors.

He told the committee: “The council has incurred around £2.3m in 2025/26, responding to the incident, with a further £300,000 expected post-April 1, 2026.

“Based on interim invoices issued, insurance recoveries (that we’re aware of), Scottish Government support and the council’s previous commitment, there is no anticipated further impact on the council’s unearmarked reserves in 2025/26 arising from the incident.

“As works complete and final invoices are raised and paid, members will receive a further – and hopefully final – update in the next monitoring report, which will come to you in June.”

Demolition work was completed in December LDRS

The majority of PKC’s response costs are related to the demolition and reinstatement of the street-scape.

The committee was previously told the costs, which would probably be irrecoverable, were around welfare support, which PKC provided as part of its statutory responsibility.

A total of 55 households were rehoused after fire damage made neighbouring buildings unsafe.

The burnt-out building had to be demolished brick by brick, and stabilisation work completed on the neighbouring buildings.

The Scott Street and South Street junction finally reopened in February 2026.