Fire Service Fined £54,000 over Ewan Williamson Death In Edinburgh

Fire chiefs have been fined £54,000 after admitting health and safety breaches in connection with the death of a firefighter in Edinburgh. Ewan Williamson, who was 35, died as he fought a blaze in the basement of the former Balmoral Bar in Dalry Road, Edinburgh, on July 12 2009. Sentence was passed on the fire service at the High Court in Edinburgh following a hearing last month in which it admitted breaches under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Mr Williamson was working for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service - now the east division of the national service - when he died in the line of duty. He became lost and trapped in the burning building. He was the only firefighter in the history of the Lothian and Borders Fire Service (LBFRS) to die while tackling a blaze. The SFRS took over from the eight regional fire services in 2013. After passing sentence on the service, Judge Lord Uist said: "I wish to acknowledge and record the courage, dedication and professionalism of Mr Williamson, who lost his life in tragic circumstances while serving the public in the course of his duties as a firefighter.''