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Probe into university blaze begins

12:25, Feb 8 2012

 

An investigation will begin later into a major blaze in a university building that involved more than 50 firefighters.

Students and staff were evacuated from the University of Strathclyde's James Weir building in Montrose Street, Glasgow when the fire broke out at around 7.15pm on Tuesday.

The adjoining university union in John Street was also evacuated.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue (SFR) said no one was injured.

The building, which houses the chemical and mechanical engineering departments, remains closed and officials have cancelled all scheduled classes there.

The fire was extinguished around 11.40pm but officers continued to deal with a few "hotspots" in the building.

Fire crews were faced with a well-developed blaze and their operations were "complicated" by the presence of hazardous chemicals. Firefighters with breathing apparatus had to break windows in the bottom floor of the building to gain entry.

SFR deputy assistant chief officer Jim Doyle, who was in charge of the operation, said: "This was an extremely challenging incident in the centre of Glasgow, complicated by the building's network of interlinking corridors and the presence of hazardous chemicals.

"The firefighters' work was exemplary as they fought through acrid smoke and intense heat to tackle the blaze and bring it under control as quickly as possible without a single casualty."

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde University praised the work of the firefighters: "The fire and rescue teams were on the scene very promptly and dealt with the situation very well," she said.

 

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