Firefighters have started investigating the cause of a blaze which left the city’s beloved School of Art in ruins.
More than 120 personnel from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) were called after the historic Mackintosh Building went up in flames at about 11.20pm on Friday, spreading to nearby buildings including the O2 ABC.
The blaze is the second in four years to hit the building, which was undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration to return it to its former glory.
Three fire appliances and a high reach appliance remain at the scene in Glasgow extinguishing remaining “pockets of fire”.
In a statement issued on Monday morning, assistant chief officer of the SFRS David McGown – director of prevention and protection – said that the investigation into the cause of the incident is under way but will be a “very complex process and will take time”.
He added: “We are now in our third full day of fire service operations. Firefighters have been working extremely hard on the scene since Friday night – and continue to do so today.
“I would first and foremost like to pay tribute to their outstanding professionalism, working effectively alongside our partners to protect the community.
“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recognises what the Glasgow School of Art building and O2 ABC mean to the people of Glasgow and the impact on smaller local businesses who have also been affected.
“This has been at the forefront of all of our minds throughout what has been a challenging and protracted incident.
“The investigation into this devastating incident has already commenced.
“Our fire investigation team has started gathering information and, working alongside our police partners, will look at various sources of information to establish exactly what has happened here.
“However, I would like to stress that this is a very complex process and will take time.
“It is of vital importance that we ensure the full facts and circumstances of this incident are clearly established.”
He added: “Our fire investigations team are specialists in their own field.
“They will look at every aspect of this incident – including the cause of the fire, how it spread and what safety measures were in place.
“We understand the need for clarity here and why so many want to know how this happened, but I would again like to reiterate that we need to establish the full facts and circumstances of this incident – and this will take time.”
