Glasgow firefighter was '20 seconds' away from escaping Kilbirnie Street blaze

Brave Allan Finlay was one of seven firemen who died in a warehouse fire in Kilbirnie street on Friday, August 25, 1972.

He was the youngest of the crew, at just 20 years old, when he perished while trying to save his colleague James Rook after the ceiling collapsed.

Now 50 years later, his brother Jack Finlay, has revealed that Allan was seconds away from leaving his work for the day before getting the call to respond to the fire.

Jack put down a wreath for his tragic brother Allan

The 87-year-old told the Glasgow Times: “Allan was packing up from work to go home and if he had been 20 seconds quicker he would have been out the door, they wouldn’t have called him to the fire.

“It gives me mixed emotions to think about it now but it is just your fate.

“The day it happened I had been fishing and I phoned to see how things were, I had no idea, I just couldn’t believe it.

“Allan was a very brave man and it was the best job he ever had, he really loved it.

“He was so young when he died, he was the baby of the family. My mother took it hard.

“I had a good relationship with him and I miss him a lot.”

Allan's family are remembering him 50 years later

Jack spoke to the Glasgow Times after watching the unveiling of a red plaque as an “everlasting memorial” for the seven men who died in the fire.

He laid a wreath down under the touching tribute with a note that read ‘Family of Alan Finlay, always remembered.

Jack given his own plaque to remember his brother

The families were also gifted their own mini plaque to remember their loved ones.

Andrew Quinn, Alistair Crofts, Iain Bermingham, William Hooper, Duncan McMillan, and James Rook, were also remembered at the emotional event yesterday.The plaque will be an "everlasting memorial" for the firefighters who lost their lives

It was one of the highest losses of life for the UK fire and rescue service at a single incident in peacetime.

The plaque is part of a national Red Plaque Scheme run by the Fire Brigades Union and funded through the Firefighters 100 Lottery, aiming to commemorate firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Fire Brigade Union (FBU) Vice President, Ben Selby, said: “When others are running away from dangers of fire and other emergencies, it is firefighters that are running towards it.

“Often without a second thought, they're willing to put their lives in danger and on occasions like this one sadly they pay the ultimate sacrifice.”