Fire chief relives horror of blaze at care home

THE head of the fire service that fought a blaze at a nursing home in which 14 elderly residents died has said the tragedy is "one of the most difficult" he has seen.

Brian Sweeney, chief officer at Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, was at the scene of the blaze at Rosepark care home in Lanarkshire in January 2004.

The fire started in a cupboard overnight and ripped through the building. Four people were also injured.

In a report by the fire service on the tragedy, Mr Sweeney said: "I attended the incident at Rosepark care home and immediately understood the magnitude of what had occurred; a disaster in which 14 lives were tragically lost.

"At that time I expressed my sincere condolences to all those who were affected by this terrible incident and today I offer these very same sentiments. I remain in no doubt that this was one of the most difficult incidents in our service's history.

"It is my genuine hope that in sharing this experience and learning from the incident, we can ensure that this tragedy will never be repeated."

The report was issued at a seminar hosted by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, outlining the lessons learned from the Rose-park tragedy.