Firefighters battle blaze at historic former Scottish convent

It's the second time the landmark building has caught fire in less than a year.

Firefighters battle blaze at historic Corbelly Hill convent in DumfriesSteve Laird

Firefighters are battling a blaze at a historic building in Dumfries.

Emergency services rushed to the scene of the former St Benedict’s Convent on Corbelly Hill at around 7.25pm on Tuesday.

Police Scotland urged members of the public to stay away from the area.

Fire crews were called to tackle the blaze at the former convent in Dumfries.Steve Laird

Chief inspector Robin Ferguson said: “Around 7.30pm on Tuesday, 16 May, police were called to a report of a fire at a building in Maxwell Street, Dumfries.

“Officers are in attendance assisting colleagues from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the cause of the fire. There were a number of people in the area when the fire started and I would ask anyone with any information that may assist us to contact 101 with reference number 3392 of May 16.”

Nearby roads are reportedly closed.

The cause of the fire at the building, which was vacant, is currently unknown.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 7.25pm on Tuesday, May 16 to reports of a building on fire at Maxwell Street, Dumfries.

“Operations Control mobilised six fire appliances to the area, where firefighters were met by a well-developed fire.

“Three fire appliances currently remain on the scene with firefighters continuing to work towards extinguishing the fire.

“There are no reported casualties.”

It’s the second time the landmark has caught fire in the last year, following a huge blaze in August, 2022.

The fire at the former Benedictine convent in Dumfries started at around 7.25pm on Tuesday.Steve Laird
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