FIREFIGHTERS said last night that they will remain at the scene of a major blaze in Glasgow city centre for “as long as it takes”.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said a lot of work is still to be done to ensure the fire on Sauchiehall Street is completely extinguished. About 30 firefighters and eight fire engines were still in attendance at the site yesterday afternoon.
GALLERY: Firefighters praised as Glasgow blaze contained without injuries
SFRS officials also confirmed there is no risk to the public from asbestos after concerns were raised during the height of the blaze on Thursday.
Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay said: “There is still a lot of work to be done on the ground to ensure that this fire is completely extinguished. We will remain on the scene for as long as it takes and we are absolutely committed to preventing any further damage to surrounding properties and ensuring the area is made safe.”
The SFRS say the blaze took hold in several commercial properties including a nightclub, causing extensive damage to a four-storey block.
Firefighters have been at the site since the fire broke out just before 8.20am on Thursday.
Ramsay added: “This was an incredibly difficult and complex incident – but the actions of our firefighters were and continue to be outstanding. This is a historic area of Glasgow - through our aggressive intervention and planning we were able to protect iconic buildings, such as the Pavilion Theatre, from significant damage.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the hotels, businesses and people of Glasgow, who opened their doors to our firefighters and our emergency service partners, for their invaluable and continued support.”
An investigation will be carried out in “due course” to establish the cause of the fire.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here