Perth fatal fire expected to cost council £2.6m
BBCPerth and Kinross Council's response to a fatal Perth fire which led to the eight-month closure of a city centre junction is expected to cost the local authority £2.6m.
A man died and two people, an eight-year-old girl and a 27-year-old man, were taken to hospital following the blaze in Scott Street last June.
The blaze destroyed several flats as well as The Royal Bar pub.
The final financial costs to the council are expected to be brought before its finance and resources committee in June.
Fifty-five households had to be rehoused after damage to the building made neighbouring structures unsafe.
A chihuahua puppy called Vilo was also rescued from the building after surviving almost two weeks in the burnt-out tenement.
Demolition work, which had to be carried out brick-by-brick, was completed in December.
The junction reopened in February.
The majority of the council's response costs related to the demolition and reinstatement of the street.
The council's chief financial officer Scott Walker provided the update to councillors on Monday.
He told the committee: "The council has incurred around £2.3m in 2025/26, responding to the incident, with a further £300,000 expected post-April 2026.
"Based on interim invoices issued, insurance recoveries that we're aware of, Scottish Government support and the council's previous commitment, there is no anticipated further impact on the council's unearmarked reserves in 2025/26 arising from the incident."
