Firefighters still at scene of massive Govan blaze

Firefighters were today continuing to battle a blaze at a car scrapyard in Glasgow that sent a pall of smoke across the city and left thousands of homes without power.

The fire could be viewed from up to 40 miles away

Smoke billowing from the blaze near Ranger FC’s Ibrox Stadium could be seen rising above the city from up to 40 miles away, with firefighters working through the night to bring the flames under control.

By 6am on Monday firefifighters and police were till on the scene in heavy numbers as the blaze was being damped down.

According to reports water had to be pumped from the Clyde to douse the flames and hoses were laid a kilometre (0.6 miles) through streets closed off by police.

The fire could be viewed from up to 40 miles away

Scottish Power said one of its buildings was involved in the fire and power had to be shut off to 3,000 properties in the Govan area as a precaution.

Locals were urged to unplug all their electrical equipment and switch off gas or oil central heating systems.

Police and fire crews were called to the blaze at about 4.30pm.

More than 50 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze, with 12 appliances.

Hundreds of people watched the blaze.

Peter Heath, from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said fire engulfed a building about 100 metres by 40 metres before spreading to a large yard at the back full of tyres.

Firefighters worked to protect an electricity sub-station supplying a “significant part of Glasgow and Govan area”, he said.

Struan Ferguson posted a photo of the column of smoke taken from the Isle of Arran, around 40 miles from the blaze.

SP Energy Networks later tweeted that power had been restored after engineers altered the network from the substation.