A crowdfunding campaign has been launched by The Meadowbank to support the staff at Nick Nairn’s restaurant on Henderson Street Bridge of Allan after a blaze took hold right in the middle of service on Saturday night.
Six fire engines and more than 30 firefighters were involved in tackling the fire and two people were treated for the effects of breathing in smoke but no-one was seriously injured.
Fire crews found what is believed to be an electrical fire in the kitchen that broke out at around 8.15 pm and pictures on social media showed smoke and flames pouring from the rear of the building.
Nick Nairn tweeted, “Just to let you know, terrible fire at Nicks BofA tonight, but thankfully all staff and customers unhurt. Huge respect and thanks to the emergency services who were incredible.”
Pubs in and around Sauchiehall Street have reported quieter trading since last month’s Glasgow School of Art fire, DRAM can report. According to people in the trade that we spoke to it’s only added to the sense of chaos on an already battle-scarred Sauchiehall Street, still very much in recovery after the fire that ravaged and later condemned Victoria’s night club back in March.
Campus was one of the buildings directly affected by the fire. In terms of how quickly Glasgow City Council reacted and how effective the communication has been about where is and isn’t accessible along Sauchiehall Street in its wake, GM Gavin McGreish told DRAM, “This is obviously devastating for me personally and when it first happened, things were very much up in the air and communication was patchy.
“The council has since really opened up the lines of communication and since the council has taken over there has been far more clarity. Having said that, no timescales are in place, so I can’t even begin to make any kind of estimation as to when we’ll be able to begin trading again. Six months? Nine months? I simply do not know. The Business Improvement District has also stepped up.”
Bars in the vicinity have also noticed a perceptible difference.
Ryan Doyle from The State Bar on Holland Street told DRAM,“We are one of the closest pubs to the Art School and many of the students and lecturers drink in here, so it’s something that has affected us closely because it’s been a hot topic and a cause for concern among many of our regulars.
“In a wider sense, the closure of the ABC and Campus has affected trade for us because we’re a feeder bar for both venues.”
It’s a similar story at The Variety Bar on Sauchiehall Street, according to Nathan Schuppan from the bar. He said, “It’s been a quiet couple of weeks for us. Perhaps customers have been deterred from coming down this far along Sauchiehall Street from the centre of town because of all the road blocks and diversions that are now in place.”
Pete Neil from Jackson’s Bar on nearby Cambridge Street added, “I don’t think that it’s affected our trade too much in what is already a quiet time of year following the departure of the students, but that in itself makes it difficult to say for certain”.
Both fires raged against a backdrop of Glasgow City Council’s tree-lined pedestrian walkway installation, The Avenues Project, which, while still allowing access to businesses, has also caused disruption to both the pedestrian and traffic flow. Speaking to DRAM, Brian Fulton of Hold Fast Entertainment and Chair of Sauchiehall Street Business Improvement District, said,“I’m just out of a task force meeting and we are very focussed on the guys that are open as well as the guys that are closed, and particularly on the guys that are still open getting the best deal and healthiest trade possible. The main reason being, if we can keep the street vibrant and busy, it’ll make it easier for businesses to reopen once the cordon is lifted. There are so many great reasons to come to this city, like the TRANSMT festival, and not everyone knows that part of the street remains open, so we are working with both the council as well as with Rainton Construction Ltd who are undertaking the Avenues Project, to communicate this to the public.”
Police Scotland have confirmed that two people have died at Cameron House Hotel following a blaze this morning at the five-star hotel.
A Police Statement said, “Police Scotland can now confirm two people have died following a fire at the Cameron House Hotel earlier today, Monday 18 December 2017. Around 0650 hours, police were called to a report of a fire at the hotel. More than 200 guests were evacuated from the building which has been extensively damaged. Officers remain at the scene and are working with other emergency services to establish the exact circumstances of the incident.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene. Four people were taken to hospital, one to the RAH who later died. A further three people were taken to the Queen Elizabeth University, Hospital for treatment.
It is understood that more than 200 guests were evacuated from the hotel, near Balloch, in the early hours of the morning. However the fire continued to rage throughout the day with the Scottish fire and rescue service still on the scene this afternoon, with firefighters searching the building and tackling flames.
A local resident said that she saw ambulances rushing to the scene as she was making her way to work. It’s understood that three of the people taken to hospital were from the same family with a young child involved.
A statement on the hotel website said, “Due to an ongoing incident please be aware that Cameron House will remain closed to arriving guests for at least the next 72 hours. We would ask all guests and customers to remain patient as we work with the emergency services to establish the extent of the damage and ascertain when we will be able to re-open. More information will follow in due course. While the hotel’s Facebook page said the fire took hold within the main building”.
Police Scotland have said a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Edinburgh pubs could be subject to stricter fire regulations after fire chiefs called for a review. They want sprinklers to be fitted to places that store a high volume of alcohol. The request comes two years after a fatal fire at the Balmoral bar killed firefighter Ewan Williamson. Cllr Bridgeman, convener of the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Board, says, ” We are living in a modern age, with technology and systems to try to prevent the damage that fire causes. Sprinklers should be considered by building standards (for pubs] because of the levels of alcohol content, which is highly flammable.”
In order to make sprinklers compulsory the Scottish Government would have to change current building regulations.
Cllr Bridgeman, convener of the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Board, says, ” We are living in a modern age, with technology and systems to try to prevent the damage that fire causes. Sprinklers should be considered by building standards (for pubs] because of the levels of alcohol content, which is highly flammable.”