RESIDENTS near Forth Street in North Berwick have shared their experiences of the fire that took hold of a building nearby.

Shortly before 7am (Monday), firefighters were called to the incident at the Freemasons Hall, 8-10 Forth Street.

Six appliances were sent, with crews from all over East Lothian, and a height appliance from Edinburgh, in attendance.

SEE MORE: Emergency services at 'large-scale incident' in North Berwick

East Lothian Courier: The Freemasons Hall was on fire this morning, the building is found on Forth Street in North Berwick town centre.The Freemasons Hall was on fire this morning, the building is found on Forth Street in North Berwick town centre.

The Courier has spoken to nearby residents who have told what they saw and how they found out about the fire.

One described it as "a large-scale incident" with "people being evacuated to the other side of the road".

One resident, who lives opposite the building, said that the fire brigade arrived on scene at about 7.30am.

She said: "From where I am (across the street) I could see four fire engines.  

"Lots of smoke but no flames visible.  It is thought to have been started by a faulty refrigeration unit in the upstairs of the building.

"At no stage were residents in danger.  The last two fire engines left at noon."

A spokesperson for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service told the Courier it could not confirm a cause of the blaze or the extent of damage to the building.

Both videos by Pat Beales

A couple from Lorne Lane said they had heard no sirens, and were only alerted to the fire by the sound of voices on the street.

The man, who did not want to be named, said: “The windows upstairs are blown out and you could see the blackened walls inside.”

Another resident, on Forth Street, said: “I didn’t hear any sirens. A neighbour phoned and woke me at 7.15am, not in a panic, just to let me know what was happening. I looked out and saw smoke billowing from the roof.

"One neighbour’s friend said there were nine fire engines, a control van, paramedics... There was nobody in the hall and nobody in the flat below.”

Police were also called to help with traffic management and ambulances were also spotted at the scene.

There are no reported injuries or casualties.

Forth Street remains closed and there is no pedestrian access.