Firefighters pay tribute to warehouse victims

Divisional Officer Andrew Quinn, leading fireman Alastair Crofts, and firemen Iain Bermingham, Allan Finlay, William Hooper, Duncan McMillan and James Rook of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue died in the fire in a cash-and-carry warehouse in Kilbirnie Street, Glasgow, 40 years ago today.

Six of the men had returned to the building to rescue Rook, who was trapped under fallen stock, when a flashover took place – a burst of flame and  intense heat of around 600C – killing them all.

Chief Officer of the service Brian Sweeney paid tribute to the men at the ceremony in Glasgow’s Necropolis yesterday ahead of a service in the city’s cathedral.

Lord Provost Sadie Docherty unveiled the memorial, which lists the names of all firefighters who have died during service in the city. Ten wreaths were laid by senior officers, politicians and firefighters from the time, as hundreds of retired officers attended the service to remember colleagues. Serving firefighters, dressed in traditional uniforms of lancer jackets and metro helmets, formed a guard of honour as retired officers walked to the memorial site.

Sweeney said: “Press photographs show the strained faces of firemen donning breathing apparatus after it had been confirmed by Deputy Firemaster Peter McGill that a search was continuing for ‘firemen believed missing, number at present believed to be seven’.

“The shock was also experienced at stations where control room operators had despatched appliances to the fire.”

Brian Murray was one of the officers at the Kilbirnie Street blaze and received two bravery medals as he saved other colleagues from the building.

He said: “It doesn’t feel like 40 years have gone past. Sometimes it feels like a long time ago, but there are times when I don’t want to think about it.

“There have been things to mark the date I didn’t want to go to. But you should come to days like this to remember the ones who died. Today brings back memories, but they’re not nice memories.”

Murray said the closeness  of the firefighters led to him going into the building to help others get out.

“There was great togetherness in the fire service because you were always working that close with people. It was the same with the guys that died: everybody knew them and that made it harder.”

Former firefighter James Smith, now historian of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service, was off duty on the day in 1972 but said the deaths were a tragic end to brave efforts to save a colleague.

“Just as they were bringing him out, it flashed across  the ceiling of the floor below, causing temperatures of 1,000 degrees,” Smith said.

A trail of pavement plaques was also unveiled after the memorial service to mark out the Glasgow Fire Trail, commemorating the deaths of 25 officers between 1832 and 1972.