One of the worst disasters in the history of Glasgow is set to be remembered this weekend.
The Cheapside Street tragedy on March 28, 1960, claimed the lives of 14 firemen and five members of the Glasgow Salvage Corps after the side of a whisky warehouse exploded unexpectedly and showered the emergency workers with debris.
The event remains the single highest loss of life by firemen in peacetime Britain.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the fire, a book has been published by Alan Forbes - the Public Affairs Manager of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue - and James Smith, a retired Strathclyde fireman and an authority on fire service history.
Tinderbox Heroes was recently unveiled by the authors at the Aye Write! book festival in Glasgow.
The publication also examines other large blazes in Glasgow, including the Graftons fashion store fire in Argyle Street in 1949 when 13 young female shop assistants died, the James Watt Street fire of 1968 which claimed the lives of 22 factory workers, and the Kilbirnie Street fire of 1972 when seven firemen were trapped and killed in a warehouse blaze.
IN DETAIL
- Video - footage of Cheapside Fire
- Video - Interview with Brian Sweeney
- Picture Gallery - Cheapside Street Fire
Brian Sweeney, Chief Officer of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, told STV News: "It is a very poignant day when we have cause to remember a disaster which, even though it was 50 years ago, still remains very poignant for many members of our community including many veterans who were there. A very poignant day but one which we can take pride.
"The fire had a huge impact. If we look back at the records, look back at the funerals, a cortege several miles long, tens and tens of thousands of Glasgow citizens out there to pay their respects. One of my colleagues the other day reflected that 50 years ago, in a much smaller scale way, it was Glasgow’s version of 9/11."
On Sunday, a series of events will be held across Glasgow to mark the anniversary. A service will be held at the Cheapside Memorial at the Necropolis. This will be followed by a memorial service at Glasgow Cathedral before the unveiling of a commemorative stone in George Square.
Mr Sweeney concluded: "Organisations that lose sight of their history, of their origins and culture of where they came from, often lose their way. We can’t lose our way."
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