Fire at Glasgow Central (08/03/26)

[Harpo]

In actual fact, water is an effective way to cool a lithium battery fire (though you need rather more of it for a fire that size than you'll get from spraying a small fire extinguisher through the doorway).

Lithium batteries can also reignite if not thoroughly cooled. There is a whole sub industry around quarantining them from specialised containers to quarantine areas.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It would seem that it is likely a dodgy battery from the videos circulating, but I suspect that some people are want to imply something more sinister. Perhaps based on who usually work in vape shops (including phone repairs) which in my experience are nearly always non-white. I'm not about to log in to X but I am 99% certain there's going to be extremely crazy takes on there.

You will be unsurprised to find, if you do, that there is indeed a liberal sprinkling (!) of racism going on there regarding this incident. Plus some wilder conspiracy theories about it being an insurance job, which might well be applicable to some other fires but this one is well enough documented to be clear that that wasn't what went on.

 

[johntea]

Whilst it being a vape shop full of batteries may of course have made things a lot worse once any fire starts it can quickly take hold and become a major problem even for the excellent fire crews

Below is an image I took around 20 years ago of a fire at a school very close to my house (apologies only postage stamp size but you certainly get the idea), from memory it turned out to be caused by a few teenagers 'having a bit of a laugh'

 

[Hedge Fund]

From Carlisle, the xx48/50 is direct to Euston (non-stop from Warrington), while the xx07/10 is via Birmingham and stops also at Crewe, but both are through trains.
You can change from the via Birmingham at Crewe and pick up a faster train via the Trent Valley.
While there are cancellations because of the fire at Glasgow Central, most of the Avanti services appear to be running (Glasgow trains starting at Motherwell).

Thanks!

 

[ainsworth74]

Lithium batteries can also reignite if not thoroughly cooled. There is a whole sub industry around quarantining them from specialised containers to quarantine areas.

Which may well be why it seemed like the Fire Brigade had it under control at one point but then it got more intense again and destroyed the whole building. Could be that it did calm down significantly but then more batteries reignited having been able to warm back up and away we go...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Lithium salts don't combust when they meet water in the same way as the elemental lithium you saw your science teacher blow up in school.

unless it’s Lithium Hydride of course! And of course the famous nBuLi which I used in my first degree project all those years ago. Reacts very very violently with water. Sorry OT

 

[35B]

You will be unsurprised to find, if you do, that there is indeed a liberal sprinkling (!) of racism going on there regarding this incident. Plus some wilder conspiracy theories about it being an insurance job, which might well be applicable to some other fires but this one is well enough documented to be clear that that wasn't what went on.

Given the location, I'm quite prepared to believe that, but Glasgow does have a history of inconveniently listed development sites going on fire.

 

[LT02 NVV]

I blame those cheap crappy Chinese bootleg vapes with horrible batteries and toxic chemicals.

Glasgow has had a lot of recent incidents involving lithium batteries causing fires (there’s been that campaign recently to stop it).
The shop that did catch fire was also full of bootleg SML Puppets & Italian Brainrot Plushies, so it had so much more fuel than just the batteries too.

 

[Russel]

Given the location, I'm quite prepared to believe that, but Glasgow does have a history of inconveniently listed development sites going on fire.

Indeed, it gained the nickname 'Tinderbox City', for a reason.

 

[LT02 NVV]

As well as the lithium batteries, are the vapes not made from plastic bodies containing flammable liquids, so from a fire safety point of view extremely hazardous when hundreds/thousands of them are stored in boxes in a shop? Did the shop have a suitable fire suppression system or sprinklers?

I am aware of several bin wagons that have gone up in flames due to batteries and these sort of things being put in the rubbish, and people need to be aware.

The shop also had knock-off goods, like SML puppets, and some K-Pop Demon Hunters toys. And God Knows whatever cheap stuff they were made out of.

The Vape shop was similar to a bunch of other vape shops across the city (which are still open as I write this).

 

[Bishops]

I'm intrigued to know what the narrative supposedly is, and why the BBC are 'hiding it from the world'. I think I can hear a dog whistle in there somewhere, but surely nobody is going to announce the exact cause of the fire until there's been a proper investigation?

.

Radio 5 were reporting it was in a vape shop from early this morning when i woke - its a pretty big conspiracy theory to think that the BBC were hiding it because of 'Agenda'

 

[Strathclyder]

Has it actually been confirmed that the fire started in a vape shop? I can't see anything on the BBC feed that says it was a vape shop that was the culprit. Unless BBC are not reporting that due to it not fitting their narrative.

I was caught up in the beginnings of this coming back from Paisley at around half 4 yesterday afternoon and was still in the general area when the station was evacuated about a hour later as the fire really began to take hold. Walking round and getting as close as I dared on Union St before backing off, it definitely looked like a vape shop or at minimum a botique shop of a similar nature.

Small wonder it went up again after it seemed to be brought under control; lithium batteries - especially cheaply made ones - are extremely volatile when heated and can easily reignite if not cooled sufficently/properly (water is a absolute no-no as pointed out multiple times already).

I'm intrigued to know what the narrative supposedly is, and why the BBC are 'hiding it from the world'. I think I can hear a dog whistle in there somewhere, but surely nobody is going to announce the exact cause of the fire until there's been a proper investigation?

It would seem that it is likely a dodgy battery from the videos circulating, but I suspect that some people are want to imply something more sinister. Perhaps based on who usually work in vape shops (including phone repairs) which in my experience are nearly always non-white. I'm not about to log in to X but I am 99% certain there's going to be extremely crazy takes on there.

You will be unsurprised to find, if you do, that there is indeed a liberal sprinkling (!) of racism going on there regarding this incident. Plus some wilder conspiracy theories about it being an insurance job, which might well be applicable to some other fires but this one is well enough documented to be clear that that wasn't what went on.

It's Twitter/X. Not exactly renowned for being a haven for critical thinking skills and intelligent thought, especially in recent years. Such mindless drivel by such amateur potstirrers ought to be ignored.

As for the insurance job thing, while it's not unique to Glasgow of course, the city does have a reputation for buildings, usually older, long-abandoned ones (so it's not applicable here in the latter sense), going up in flames, being damaged to the point of needing to be demolished, hence the 'Tinderbox City' nickname.

Oftentimes the plot of land will lie vacant for years/decades as ownership/insurance entanglements ensure nothing is done with it - see the long-standing gap just a few hundred metres south on Jamacia St or the gap up on Sauchiehall St nr. the Pavilion Theatre after the 2018 fire - but as the land is often more valuable than the building on it, it will just as often have a newbuild on it within a few years, built with seemingly undue haste.

That is primarily what fuels this line of thought. Can't say I haven't thought it myself whenever this happens, but it's been more out of weary cynicism born out of the general malaise & decline of the city as a whole in recent years (again, not just a Glasgow thing) rather than me seriously believing it.

I digress. Like you say, best to wait and see what the investigation finds. Whatever the cause turns out to be, there has to be some good to come out of this sorry mess.

 

[Acathater]

Just to improve a perfect day on the WCML.....it looks like at the moment everything through Preston is blocked by a trespass incident

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Mar 2026 ==

unless it’s Lithium Hydride of course! And of course the famous nBuLi which I used in my first degree project all those years ago. Reacts very very violently with water. Sorry OT

tert-butyllithium is worse

I used to have to dispose of out of date stock by shooting the necks off the bottles with an air rifle - from a safe distance.
Makes a nice explosion

 

[syorksdeano]

Just had a notification on my phone that the station will also be closed tomorrow.

I'm assuming that is because what is left of the building has to come down, but clearly can't at the moment as the fire brigade are still on the scene.

 

[Strathclyder]

Just had a notification on my phone that the station will also be closed tomorrow.

I'm assuming that is because what is left of the building has to come down, but clearly can't at the moment as the fire brigade are still on the scene.

I can see this lasting for the rest of the week at bare minimum. Wouldn't be at all surprised if it extends into next week given the scale of the fire and time it will take to come up with a demolition plan that can be safely carried out and you can't start doing that until the fire has been fully quelled.

 

[dosxuk]

It'll take some time to come up with a demolition plan that reduces the risks to surrounding buildings, and you're not going to make any real inroads to that until the fire is confirmed to be extinguished.

The hope will be that they can reduce the size of the cordon such that the station can at least partially re-open.

 

[snookertam]

As usual, no thought of passengers from the Largs line. The hourly train is being terminated at Kilwinning at 32 minutes past the hour. There is an hourly service from Ayr to Paisley, which leaves Kilwinning at 27 minutes past the hour, so a 55 minute wait at Kilwinning. The return journey arrives at Kilwinning at 27 minutes past the hour. The Largs train leaves Kilwinning at 21 minutes past the hour. As far as I can see, trains are not being held at Kilwinning to ease the connection.

The emergency timetable would have been compiled at very short notice by staff already dealing with the ‘on the day’ fall out from the incident.

Redesigning the timetable to suit passengers on the Largs branch would have been completely unrealistic.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Mar 2026 ==

I can see this lasting for the rest of the week at bare minimum, given the scale of the fire. Wouldn't be at all surprised if it extends into next week.

Central will almost certainly be back up and running at full capacity later in the week. The main issues will be access to Caley chambers and passenger access at Gordon Street. Once that can be arranged there’s no reason for the station not to reopen.

 

[800001]

Just had a notification on my phone that the station will also be closed tomorrow.

I'm assuming that is because what is left of the building has to come down, but clearly can't at the moment as the fire brigade are still on the scene.

Yes BBC News website reporting it will remain closed Tuesday

Station likely to remain closed on Tuesdaypublished at 11:04
11:04BREAKING​

A spokesperson for Network Rail said the station would be likely to remain closed on Tuesday and all train services would be suspended.

“While the fire is now under control, emergency services are still on site and we continue to support their response," they said in a statement.

“The station will remain closed today and likely tomorrow. Timescales for reopening will only be confirmed once we are able to safely gain access and carry out the necessary checks."

The spokesperson added: “All services to and from Glasgow Central are currently suspended, and passengers should continue to follow alternative travel arrangements as advised by their train operators.

“We will provide further updates as soon as more information is available.”

 

[Arriva Fan]

As usual, no thought of passengers from the Largs line. The hourly train is being terminated at Kilwinning at 32 minutes past the hour. There is an hourly service from Ayr to Paisley, which leaves Kilwinning at 27 minutes past the hour, so a 55 minute wait at Kilwinning. The return journey arrives at Kilwinning at 27 minutes past the hour. The Largs train leaves Kilwinning at 21 minutes past the hour. As far as I can see, trains are not being held at Kilwinning to ease the connection.

Get the 901/906 to Glasgow. Or 904 to Paisley.

 

[Strathclyder]

Central will almost certainly be back up and running at full capacity later in the week. The main issues will be access to Caley chambers and passenger access at Gordon Street. Once that can be arranged there’s no reason for the station not to reopen.

I honestly wish I could share in your optimism, but will be happy to be proven wrong either way.

 

[LT02 NVV]

I honestly wish I could share in your optimism, but will be happy to be proven wrong either way.

I think they will need to close one side of the station and completely rebuild it. Which is going to be more pain on traffic in the city’s increasing number of roadworks.

 

[Lewis10104]

For those lucky enough to be capped at 4.999%.

And no such cap at all in Scotland!

 

[styles]

And no such cap at all in Scotland!

There are some 10% increases in Scotland this year!

 

[teaspoon]

I think they will need to close one side of the station and completely rebuild it. Which is going to be more pain on traffic in the city’s increasing number of roadworks.

I'm not sure if you mean to rebuild the affected building, or the station itself? It looks like the fire was largely contained in the one building, and from drone footage doesn't appear to have spread to inside the station, Caledonian Chambers to the south or the hotel to the west. Hopefully all will be able to be re-occupied before too long and without any major works.

Attachment is a screengrab of Google Maps, with the corner building outlined, showing how it's largely self-contained, with a lightwell between it and the station.

Photos from this morning are showing that the Gordon Street façade is still (just about) standing, and I'd imagine there's a discussion going on right now about whether to try to prop it up or knock it down.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think they will need to close one side of the station and completely rebuild it. Which is going to be more pain on traffic in the city’s increasing number of roadworks.

You think wrong as it is not the station that was on fire. There will be some damage, but unless the demolition goes seriously wrong or the still-standing stairwell collapses onto it (I hope not in both cases) the station isn't that badly damaged.

I think people are thinking of the Ayr situation and extrapolating onto this, the situation isn't the same, not least because there was an ownership issue in that case.

 

[Strathclyder]

I think they will need to close one side of the station and completely rebuild it. Which is going to be more pain on traffic in the city’s increasing number of roadworks.

Station was not on fire, but there will certainly be some smoke, heat and water damage given how close it was and a good chunk of the fire-fighting efforts were conducted from within the station itself.

The Sauchiehall St fire back in 2018 was at least partially mitigated with respect to traffic diversions by it happening on a pedestrianized section of the street and for the traffic diverted away from Renfield St, there was viable diversionary routes nearby not otherwise hamstrung by multiple roadworks and/or public works projects elsewhere in the city. Here however, with Argyle St outside the Radisson Blu and George Square as a whole both being shut long-term before this happened, other nearby roads that were already under increased pressure from that diverted traffic will be pushed close to breaking point thanks to this. Couldn't have happened at a worse time and at a worse spot.

Not possible for everyone of course, but I'll be doing my best to avoid the city centre for the next week at least, as while Central may indeed reopen (partially or otherwise) by the end of the week once the fire is fully quelled and the damage can be properly assessed, that part of Union St certainly won't and the city's traffic situation was chaotic enough without this.

 

[nlogax]

Union St all the way down to Four Corners has needed attention for ages. I guess this forces the point but the demolition of what's left followed by the planning of whatever will replace it and then the building phase - it'll be a mess for years to come.

 

[Thirteen]

I'd be very surprised if Glasgow Central was closed for a long period of time, the way people are going on, you'd think the station itself caught fire and will never reopen ever again!

 

[nlogax]

I'd be very surprised if Glasgow Central was closed for a long period of time, the way people are going on, you'd think the station itself caught fire and will never reopen ever again!

According to Network Rail they expect it to be closed for at least a couple of days.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “Glasgow Central Station remains closed following the fire in a building on Union Street on Sunday.

“While the fire is now under control, emergency services are still on site and we continue to support their response.

“The station will remain closed today and likely tomorrow. Timescales for reopening will only be confirmed once we are able to safely gain access and carry out the necessary checks.

“All services to and from Glasgow Central are currently suspended, and passengers should continue to follow alternative travel arrangements as advised by their train operators.

“We will provide further updates as soon as more information is available.”

 

[Citybreak1]

Union St all the way down to Four Corners has needed attention for ages. I guess this forces the point but the demolition of what's left followed by the planning of whatever will replace it and then the building phase - it'll be a mess for years to come.

Should it be rebuilt exactly as it was or a new glass fronted building?

Moderator note: replies to this post can be found at the link below:

How should the building next to Glasgow Central station be rebuilt?

From https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/fire-at-glasgow-central-08-03-26.299500/page-8#post-7706818 Should it be rebuilt exactly as it was or a new glass fronted building? I think a sensitively designed modern stone and glass building would fit well, personally. There are plenty of...

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