Thousands without power after blaze at car scrapyard
Police cordon off streets near Ibrox stadium as massive fire engulfs site
MORE than 50 firefighters were last night tackling a massive blaze at a Glasgow scrapyard.
About 3,000 homes were left without power as a result of the inferno at Japanese Autoparts, in Govan.
Police and fire crews were called to the blaze at around 4.30pm.
Fire chiefs said a number of vehicles and tyres within the scrapyard were alight and an electrical sub-station was also affected.
ScottishPower sent text messages to customers in the Govan area, stating: “It has been necessary for us to remove power in your local area to make emergency repairs to fire damage at Govan grid supply point.
“Our emergency response team have arrived onsite and are working with the fire and rescue service to restore supplies.
“Please unplug all electrical equipment if it is safe to do so and switch off any gas or oil central heating systems.”
Electricity supplies were restored to customers at 9.50pm, ScottishPower said. No injuries were reported. Speaking from the scene last night, deputy assistant chief officer Peter Heath, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “At the moment, we still have a significant attendance at this fire.
“We have 12 pumping appliances, four height appliances and a high-volume pump which is designed to deliver large volumes of water to the scene.
“Firefighters are currently engaged in a fire that has engulfed a building which is approximately 100 metres by 40 metres with a large yard in the back full of tyres which have been involved in the fire.
“We have been applying water for some time and key priorities for us at the moment is firefighter safety.”
The blaze streets from Stadium. took place just Rangers’ Ibrox
Police cordoned off areas around the incident, closing Helen Street between the Shieldhall Road and Edmiston Drive roundabout and Golspie Street.
A crowd of people gathered outside the exclusion zone to watch as the drama unfolded and there were reports of explosions being heard from inside the scrapyard.
Mr Heath added: “At one side of the building that is on fire is an electrical sub-station which supplies a significant part of Glasgow and, at the other side, there is a large storage facility.
“Our activity in the last few hours has been ensuring that we protect these and we have been successful in that to date.”