The heart of Glasgow came to a stop on Sunday evening and into Monday morning after a huge fire at a commercial property on Union Street. The fire, which started at a vape shop next to Scotland’s railway hub caused a lot of damage and shut down Glasgow Central Station completely leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
A Night of Fire and Structural Collapse
The alarm was Ring at 3:46 PM on Sunday, March 8. What started as a shop fire quickly got out of control and turned into a big incident as flames spread to the upper floors of a large four-story Victorian building. At the height of the fire the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service deployed 18 fire appliances.
The timing of the disaster made things worse for the city. The station was getting ready for a surge of nearly 50,000 football fans returning from the Rangers vs. Celtic match. Instead of an easy commute home, supporters encountered police cordons, falling ash, and smoke-filled streets. One person said the experience terrified them as the building groaned, adding that they had “never seen anything like it” in the city center.
By Sunday night the heat from the fire caused part of the building’s roof and its distinctive corner dome to collapse. Firefighters had to pump water from the River Clyde to keep the pressure up to fight the flames.
Unprecedented Disruption at Scotland’s Busiest Hub
No one was hurt,. The impact on the citys infrastructure was huge. Network Rail closed Glasgow Central Station on Sunday evening. By Monday morning rail operators confirmed that no services would run from the high-level platforms. Station staff have also closed the low-level platforms and are redirecting passengers to Argyle Street and Anderston stations.
Many local business owners lost their livelihoods. The fire destroyed businesses including the “Sexy Coffee” shop and the “Haus of Hair” salon. The loss of Haus of Hair is especially sad because the owners had opened the salon only a few days before the fire, which happened on International Women’s Day, according to their friends.
First Minister John Swinney expressed concern over the incident. Praised the emergency services. For those living in the city center the advice is to keep windows and doors closed as crews continue to put out spots and assess the safety of the building.
The Long Road to Recovery for Union Street
The fire is a blow to the efforts to revitalize Union Street and the surrounding district. Local leaders and heritage advocates have expressed sadness over the damage to the “Union Corner” building. The structure, which dates back to 1851 is a piece of Glasgows architectural history.
People feel the loss more strongly because the Egyptian Halls, a historic building, has long attracted restoration efforts.
As of Monday, March 9 a large cordon remains in place across Union Street and St Vincent Street. Structural engineers are now, on-site to determine if the remaining facade can be stabilized. For now the vibrant rhythm of Glasgow’s city center remains silenced. Read More
