First crews to respond faced ‘blowtorch’ of heat

Chief officer Alasdair Hay of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service described it as one of the largest incidents the organisation had faced since its inception.

He added: “It was an incredibly complex fire with very high risk conditions, and I just want to praise the firefighters for their professionalism in the way in which they dealt with this incident. It was very tough and very technical but their professionalism and dedication has shone through.”

The blaze brought back memories of a similar fire in a nearby part of the city which gutted the Glasgow School of Art in 2014. Fire crews worked flat out to prevent the destruction of the building and save the majority of the precious artwork inside.

Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay praised the first crews on the scene yesterday for their quick response, and described the efforts of all of the firefighters involved as ”outstanding”.

“The first crews did a great job,” he said. “They got into the premises as quickly as they could, but it was an inferno.

“It was like a blowtorch and they were beaten back by the heat and the flames and a really rapid spread.”

Mr Ramsay said fire crews had to come out of the building quickly before undertaking “some really aggressive firefighting”.

Speaking as the blaze was brought under control, Mr Ramsay added: “I had concerns the fire would spread and that was high up in my priorities.

“We took steps to ensure that didn’t happen and we have now stopped the fire in the building of origin.”