Brave firefighters who worked tirelessly to tackle a devastating blaze that tore through a row of buildings on Glasgow’s Union Street have been recognised by King Charles.
His Majesty joined Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews, along with representatives from Police Scotland, British Transport Police, Network Rail, and Glasgow City Council at Dumfries House on Wednesday to thank them for their heroic efforts in the response and recovery of the incident.
On March 8, emergency services rushed to a four-storey commercial property on Union Street at around 3.46pm following reports of a blaze affecting the ground floor.
Hours later, the flames spread and caused the partial collapse of the building. It suffered extensive damage, and the fire resulted in the loss of its historic dome.
Over the next four days, around 300 firefighters were deployed to the scene to bring the large-scale fire under control and to prevent damage to some of the city’s most iconic buildings, including Glasgow Central and Grand Central Hotel.
The busy station was brought to a standstill for several days, disrupting travel to and from the city.
No firefighters or members of the public were injured during this time.
READ NEXT:
Glasgow hotel issues update on reopening after Union Street fire
Firefighters leave devastating Union Street fire site after FOUR days
Kind-hearted nursery children in sweet gesture to Union Street firefighters
Crews eventually left the scene on March 12, handing the site over to Glasgow City Council. A safe zone was then established around the remaining façade of the affected building.
King Charles met crews who were involved in the response to the incident in a wide range of roles.
These included Glasgow-based firefighters who were the first on the scene, incident commanders who led the tactical operation, and operations control staff who managed the mobilisation of resources.
Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “We are extremely grateful to His Majesty for joining SFRS staff and partner agencies in recognition of the collective response and management of this fire.
“I am immensely proud of the professionalism and commitment shown by our staff – including firefighters, command officers, Operations Control and support staff – throughout this complex and protracted incident.
“I also extend my thanks to our partner agencies whose close cooperation and shared expertise were vital in bringing this incident to a safe conclusion.
“The reception provided an opportunity for our staff and multi-agency partners to share with His Majesty an insight into the collaborative working that underpins effective emergency response, and we are grateful to The King for his recognition and taking time to personally thank some of those involved.”
READ NEXT:
Plan revealed to 'cover up' Union Street fire site during Commonwealth Games
Susan Aitken said people must expect to see progress on Union Street
Last day of demolition as Glasgow's fire-ravaged Union Street building torn down
Glasgow Central Station only fully reopened to commuters on March 25, and the Grand Central Hotel is still shut.
Demolition work at the site remains ongoing, with part of the safety cordon still in place.
Scores of businesses were affected by the fire, with some premises being completely destroyed.
Sexy Coffee was among those that lost units, as were Clean Slayt, Amore Nails, Lucky in Love Tattoos, Paddy Power, and Shelter Scotland.
Shortly after the incident, the Fire Recovery Fund was launched by Glasgow City Council to support businesses that were impacted.
Share