CITY’S DAY OF DESTRUCTION
As the smoke clears, Glasgow counts the full cost of Sauchiehall Street fire
EMERGENCY crews remain at the scene of a devastating fire which tore through the heart of Glasgow.
Now the city is coming to terms with the full cost of the blaze.
MORE than 100 firefighters from across Scotland battled one of the biggest fires to strike Glasgow city centre in recent memory.
The Sauchiehall Street blaze broke out at breakfast time yesterday on the roof of the building which houses Victoria’s Nightclub.
The first crews on scene fought to contain the flames in a stretch of shops along the busy city centre street, but the blaze spread too quickly, forcing the call for backup.
Buildings on the street were evacuated and eyewitnesses struggled to see or breathe as thick, black smoke engulfed the bustling shopping area.
Shopworkers described hearing a “loud bang” as they were evacuated amid flames and smoke, with one labelling it the most “shocking” thing he’d seen in his life.
Others, including Three Shop manager Robert McPhee, 49, said he could see flames “pouring” from the buildings.
The Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Alasdair Hay, described the fire as “one of the largest incidents the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has faced”.
Firefighters were still fighting the blaze as The Evening Times went to press, with the Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay warning the fire had continued to spread.
He said: “We will be here for days. I am still firefighting, I am not even beginning to think about the next stages I am thinking about putting the fire out just now and that is my focus – as is keeping those 100 firefighters safe.”
Another priority for the fire service was saving the iconic Pavilion Theatre which was only separated by Renfrew Lane.
Fire crews broke into the venue, which is one of the oldest in the city, to safeguard it from the fire. They set up jets on the roof while safeguarding the Pavilion’s fascia.
ACO Ramsay said: “I don’t want pretend – there was
I don’t want pretend – there was significant risk of fire spreading to iconic properties
significant risk of fire spreading to adjacent iconic properties. I am delighted to say that we managed to get in there very quickly and do what we had to do to stop that spread.”
Nearby homes and businesses were warned to stay indoors and close their windows over asbestos fears.
But ACO Ramsay assured people that there is no need to worry.
He said: “We got an evacuation done. People don’t need to worry about it and we took measures to ensure that anyone living in and around this area is indoors and their windows are shut, and they are not out when they don’t need to be out.”
He added: “There is asbestos in every building of a particular age, it was very common building material. We suspect it is present here and we take precautions. People don’t need to worry.”
Praise was also heaped on the firefighters who have just started the tough task of extinguishing the blaze.
ACO Ramsay said: “They have done a fantastic job every single one of them. I am hugely proud of the firefighters we have not only in this city but across of Scotland.
“We have firefighters across Scotland at this job – that is how complicated it is. They have put up with a lot, they have had to put up with me shouting and barking orders at them, and they get on with their job with great fortitude, great courage and I am hugely proud of them.”
Council leader Susan Aitken described a “difficult, anxious” day for the city, and paid tribute to the emergency services response.
She added: “While everyone across Glasgow will be relieved there appears to have been no casualties, this is still an extremely serious, complex and challenging situation that will continue to have a significant impact on the city centre over the coming days and weeks.
“I am particularly aware that businesses and residents close to the scene will be concerned tonight and, although this is still an ongoing incident, I have asked our officers to start putting a recovery plan in place.”
The fire sparked an emergency meeting at the Scottish Parliament as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chaired a meeting of the resilience group. She said: “This remains a serious ongoing incident and my sincere thanks go to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and other emergency services for their heroic work.”