United in honour of Cheapside blaze victims

• Firefighters attend the unveiling of a plaque to mark the 50th anniversary of Britain's worst peacetime fire disaster that killed 19 people when a whisky bond exploded Picture: Getty Images

Glasgow Lord Provost Bob Winter described the huge blaze in a Clydeside whisky bond as "a tragedy that is etched in this city's history".

He unveiled a black granite plaque to commemorate the loss of life in the inferno at Cheapside Street, Anderston, on 28 March, 1960. The memorial is located in a newly-landscaped section of the Clyde walkway beside the Kingston bridge, and 200 yards east of the site.

A total of 14 firemen and five members of the Glasgow Salvage Corps died in the inferno, fuelled by more than one million gallons of whisky. An entire wall of the Arbuckle, Smith & Company warehouse collapsed in the explosion, engulfing several fire engines and their crews.

The plaque includes an engraving of a firefighter on an extended turntable ladder pouring water on to the blaze. The stone was engraved and donated by Wylie & Lochhead, the Glasgow funeral directors which arranged the interment of the fire victims. Three veterans of the fire were among those attending the unveiling, including James Dunlop, who was on his first day as a qualified firefighter.

He was awarded the George Medal for ensuring a colleague was safely brought to the ground from an extended turntable ladder while whisky barrels exploded beside the fire engine. With him at the ceremony were trainee fireman Raymond Ferrari, who was blown under the turntable ladder appliance by the blast, and salvageman Joe Smith, who almost died when he was trapped waist deep in the rubble that killed five of his colleagues.

Mr Winter said: "The commemorative stone will ensure future generations never forget the great sacrifice these men made". He recalled watching the "flames leap high into the sky" before learning about the deaths the next morning.

Mr Winter said: "Events such as this remind us of the fragility of life and the dangers faced daily by our front-line emergency services.

"Even in these times of improved technology, fire and safety crews risk their own lives to protect people and property."

The flames, which rose hundreds of feet into the air, could be seen as far away as Stirling. The fire was one of a series that led to Glasgow being known as Tinderbox City.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue chief officer Brian Sweeney told the ceremony: "It was an event marked out by tragedy and heroism, a sense of duty and a dogged determination to protect life and property."

The unveiling of the plaque was one of a series of events to commemorate the disaster, which included a wreath- laying ceremony at the Cheapside memorial at the Necropolis, a service at Glasgow Cathedral attended by 700 people, and a ceremony, including two-minute silence, in George Square.

Mr Dunlop said: "It's important that we have these events. My memories of the incident are still very vivid. It was a very sudden and unexpected explosion that took us by surprise.

"It took us a few moments to realise that it had occurred. To me, it wasn't scary after that. There was a determination to beat this fire."