STREAMS of onlookers flocked to the streets around Glasgow School of Art yesterday as the country continues to ask how Friday’s devastating fire could have happened.
Locals and tourists alike could be seen looking over police tape into the zone still cordoned off as assessors wait to determine the safety of the Mackintosh building, and what caused the raging blaze.
Police on duty in the area were met with questions from the public about the operation and its impacts.
But despite international headlines about the incident, which occurred one year before “the Mack” was due to reopen after the 2014 fire, few facts are yet known.
Yesterday David McGown, assis-tant chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, warned it “will take time” for the full picture to emerge, but offered the public a “guarantee”, saying: “We will find out what happened in this fire, what the cause was and what the cause of the spread was.”
Flames spread from the Mack to the neighbouring O2 ABC music venue, causing massive damage to its roof.
Three fire engines and a high-reach appliance remained at the scene yesterday, with “a few pockets of fire” still burning.
Water had been pumped from the River Clyde at the height of the blaze. Cracked brickwork, warped steelwork and movement are visible in the worst affected parts of the Mackintosh building and concern remains about whether or not it will continue to stand.
One architecture expert suggested a rebuild could cost £100 million, while an insurance specialist told The National the next few days will be “key” for insurance companies providing cover to the damaged venues and contractors working there.
Muriel Gray, director of the Glasgow School of Art board, said on Sunday that the “utterly devastated” team face “ a difficult waiting game” until investigations conclude.
Yesterday, McGown said his staff were still “working extremely hard on the scene”, adding: “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.
“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 circum- stances of this incident are clearly established.”
McGown went on: “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.”
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland called the fire “tragic”, adding: “The profession is ready to offer any help and support required moving forward.”
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