Part of Princes Street has been closed since the fire broke out“Complex and painstaking” work is being carried out to secure what remains of the burned-out building on Princes Street in Edinburgh, the city council’s leader has said. The fire at the site of the old Debenham’s department store in the Scottish capital gutted much of the building, with the street being closed since July 9. In the upper part of the structure, contractors are working to secure the gable ends of the B-listed building and its facade. The council said this work “will involve steelwork being secured to the facade of the building with additional reinforcement inside”. “These latest details demonstrate the complex and painstaking nature of the task at hand, and why making the building safe and restoring this key piece of Edinburgh’s heritage will take time.