A B-listed Victorian building at Glasgow Central Station caught fire on Sunday, March 8, with the blaze starting inside a vape shop. Fortunately, no one was injured, and people were evacuated in time. The police have now officially confirmed the fire’s starting point, with further investigation needed to determine the cause. As a result, Glasgow Central Station remains closed until further notice.
What will happen to the remaining parts of the building?
What is more, Glasgow City Council has now decided that the burned-down carcass of the building will be demolished. After a full assessment by officials, it was determined that demolition is absolutely necessary due to “public safety”.
After the fire was extinguished, further parts of the building had collapsed. The council has confirmed that the building’s remaining structure is “seriously compromised”.
Raymond Barlow, head of building standards in the city, said: “As everyone will realise, there was a catastrophic collapse during the height of the fire, with the front facade coming down.”
“Since then, working with fire service colleagues, we have seen there have been further collapses in the intervening period, the most recent of which was the southern gable of the remaining structure.”
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “The fire has left a scene of ruin in the heart of Glasgow and I am determined that the Scottish Government will stand with the city as it recovers.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were alerted at 3.46pm on Sunday, March 8, to reports of a fire affecting the ground floor of a four storey commercial building on Union Street, Glasgow. At its height, 18 appliances and specialist resources were mobilised.”
“As of 5.21pm on Wednesday, March 11, one fire appliance remains in attendance. The high-reach vehicle has now stood down. There are no reported casualties.”
Regarding Glasgow Central Station reopening, route director Ross Moran said: “We want to reassure passengers that we are doing everything we can to open the high level station, but we must enable the emergency services and Glasgow City Council to complete their critical work to secure the Union Corner site and make it safe.”
“We know this closure is causing significant disruption for our customers, and we’re very sorry for the impact it is having on journeys. Our teams are working hard to keep people moving where possible, and we’d encourage customers to check their journey before travelling using the ScotRail app or website.”
First Minister John Swinney said: “We will rebuild, we will restore, and Glasgow will flourish again.”
