Horror as woman catches fire in UK street as passers by try to help

A woman is fighting for her life after her clothes caught fire on a street in the United Kingdom. 

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Emergency services were called to the scene outside flats in the St Leonards district of Edinburgh art around 12:10pm on Monday, June 22. 

The woman sustained severe injuries and was rushed to hospital by ambulance, where she remains in a critical state. 

Footage shows the woman writhing on the ground, frantically attempting to remove her trousers as flames engulf the lower half of her body. 

Onlookers, including two Royal Mail employees, attempt to put out the fire by beating it with clothing and a blanket, reports the Daily Record. 

Another woman enters the frame, sprinting towards them and dousing the flames with water, but to little effect. 

The video concludes with the woman lying on the pavement while locals persist in their efforts to extinguish the fire. 
 

Firefighters arrived at the location and confirmed that they had put out the flames before departing the area alongside police.

The cause of the fire remains uncertain, but police have stated there are no suspicious circumstances. 

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “Around 12.10pm on Monday, 22 June, 2026, police were called to a report of a seriously injured woman outside flats on St Leonards Street, Edinburgh. 

“The woman was taken by ambulance to hospital where medical staff describe her condition as critical. There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. Enquiries are ongoing.” 

A spokesperson for the SFRS said: “We received reports of a fire at Carnegie Court Corner on Bowmont Place at 12.10pm on Monday June 22. 

“Two appliances were mobilised and extinguished the fire.”