Family saved from inferno in top-floor Glasgow tenement flat

A FAMILY of five, including a baby, were at the centre of a dramatic rescue operation after a major fire raged through the night in one of Glasgow's busiest thoroughfares.

Firefighters fought for nine hours through Tuesday night and yesterday morning to bring the blaze in Sauchiehall Street under control in what they described as a "notoriously difficult and dangerous" operation.

The family were ushered to safety from their top floor flat in the busy street, while fire staff and police evacuated about 100 frightened residents.

The fire tore through several floors of the tenement building, with thick plumes of smoke visible from a mile away.

Such is the extent of the damage, part of the road is expected to remain closed until at least this evening while investigations continue.

Although no-one was injured in the fire, bystanders described scenes of "chaos" as scores of firefighters battled to control the inferno.

The blaze broke out in the kitchen of the Steak & Cherry brasserie at about 11pm on Tuesday, a time when Sauchiehall Street was busy. It soon spread throughout the building to the residential properties above.

The family in the top-floor flat were rescued by firefighters using a ladder at the rear of the property.

The two men, two women, and the baby were taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary for a check-up but were later discharged.

A spokesman for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said that when its initial crews arrived at the scene opposite the Garage nightclub they were faced with a "rapidly developing fire".

He said: "Crews had to deal simultaneously with the original fire, its spread to the upper floors and more immediately, a family trapped by smoke in their top-floor flat.

"Due to the construction of these property types, hidden fires spread via enclosed voids and spaces, and are notoriously difficult and dangerous for crew to tackle."

Praising his staff, area commander Garry Milne said: "The rescue of this family from the upper floors was a textbook ladder rescue."

Such was the ferocity of the blaze, it raged for about nine hours before firefighters were able to bring it under control shortly after 8am yesterday.

At its height, about 70 staff from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue's stations in Cowcaddens, Springburn and Yorkhill were in attendance, with 11 fire engines deployed at the scene. While the family were being rescued, other firefighters and officers from Strathclyde Police searched and cleared other flats in the four-storey building.The fire brigade spokesman said "at least 100 people" were evacuated.

Witnesses described a scene of "chaos" as the fire continued to burn through the night.

Mandi Brown, 26, who had been out for dinner with her friends in Sauchiehall Street, witnessed the fire "burning like crazy" at about midnight.

She said: "It was really frightening to see these huge flames coming out. I think it's amazing no-one was killed."

Steve Webster, a 22-year-old graphic designer, said: "The building was totally destroyed, right through to the roof. They'll probably have to knock the building down."

Jim Stewart, 29, who lives opposite the restaurant, said his fire alarm went off in the early hours. When he looked out, at about 5:45am, he said there "was still absolute chaos".