Fire damages historic Birkhill House in Coalburn

Teams in breathing apparatus conducted a systematic search to confirm no-one remained inside and began work to tackle the flames using high pressure jets.

“This was an intense fire that spread to the roof and the incident commander called on additional resources, which allowed the scene to be sectorised with firefighters deployed at strategic points outside the building,” said a spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Firefighting both inside and outside the house continued during the day, then firefighters worked to dampen down hotspots within the structure.

Talamh Life Centre is based at the 17th century farmhouse and surrounding estate, focusing on ecology and the environment.