Fire at St Michaels Inn near St Andrews

Firefighters battled a major blaze overnight at St Michaels Inn, a popular hotel near Leuchars in Fife, Scotland, close to the tourist hub of St Andrews. The fire broke out shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, prompting a large-scale response from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and causing widespread road closures in the area.

Emergency crews arrived to find the fire well-developed, with flames and thick smoke visible across the building. At its peak, nine fire appliances and four specialist resources were deployed to the scene. By Wednesday morning, six appliances and three specialist units remained on site, working to fully extinguish the blaze. No injuries or fatalities were reported, a fact emergency services attributed to quick evacuation or low occupancy at the time.

The cause remains under investigation, with police stating it is not being treated as suspicious. Some early reports pointed to a possible origin in the kitchen area, though officials have not confirmed this and plan a thorough examination once the site is safe.

The incident led to significant traffic disruptions across north east Fife, particularly routes toward Dundee. Police Scotland and Fife Council...