Teen arrested and released after fire at former school in Perth as residents return to homes

A teenager has been arrested and released after a fire at a disused school in Perth, with homes evacuated during the night.

Emergency services were called to a fire at a derelict building on Dunkeld Road around 12.25am on Sunday.

A number of properties were evacuated as a precaution, and residents in the nearby area asked to keep their windows and doors closed.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) dispatched six crews and height appliances to the scene at the peak of the fire after being called just after midnight.

Two appliances and a height vehicle remain at the scene as of Sunday morning.

Police said an 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection and released pending further enquiries.

No one was injured and residents were allowed to return to their homes, police said on Sunday morning.

The fire is being treated as “unexplained” and enquiries are ongoing.

Dunkeld Road, Balhousie Street and Muirton Place remain closed with road users and pedestrians urged to avoid the area.

The fire comes less than a week after a man died and an eight-year-old girl was taken to hospital after a flat fire in Perth city centre.

Emergency services were called to the city’s Scott Street at around 1.50am after officers spotted the fire, which took hold of a four-storey residential building, whilst patrolling the area.

First Minister John Swinney said he was “very concerned” to hear of another significant fire in the area.

A Police Scotland statement read: “Dunkeld Road, Balhousie Street, and Muirton Place remain closed following a fire at a derelict building on Dunkeld Road, Perth, which was reported around 12.25am on Sunday, June 22, 2025.

“Emergency services attended and the fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“A number of surrounding properties were evacuated as a precaution and residents have since been allowed to return to their homes. No one was injured.

“An 18-year-old man was arrested in connection and released pending further enquiries.

“The fire is being treated as unexplained and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.

“Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area. We would like to thank the public for their patience.”