ANOTHER Major Fire at Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art

I could not believe my eyes this morning when I checked the news - and found yet more pictures of yet another fire at "The Mac" - the iconic and world-renowned Rennie Mackintosh building housing the Glasgow School of Art which was due to reopen in 2019 after the last fire in May 2014.

This post provides links to images and accounts of the fire and the extent of the damage.

(NB The GSA website has been down - probably due to the extent of interest in this fire. It's now got a link to where people can read updates on the June 2018 Fire. It seems likely that the website will be down periodically while huge numbers try to access it)

Looking up the hill to the second fire at the Glasgow School of Art
(screendump from BBCNews)

What's really terrible is that accounts suggest that this fire is even worse than the previous one. It's certainly seems so from the images of the fire.

Damage to the Glasgow School of Art after a fire is "exceptionally significant", a senior firefighter has said.

The damage looks much worse than the first fire
(screendump from BBCNews)

More than 120 firefighters and 20 appliances were called to tackle the blaze, which began at about 11.15pm on Friday and spread to a neighbouring music venue, the O2 ABC.

By 6am on Saturday, fire crews were still tackling hotspots in the grade-A listed building, which appears to have been gutted by the fire and had its roof and upper floors destroyed. (The Guardian Heartbreaking': fire guts Glasgow School of Art for second time )

The fire appears to cover much more of the building
(screendump from BBCNews)

Nine hours ago came this tweet from the official GSoA Twitter account

There is a fire at the Mackintosh Building. The fire brigade are currently on scene. We will report back with news updates as soon as possible.

— Glasgow School Art (@GSofA) June 15, 2018

and then this one

Glasgow School of Art is on fire again. Heartbreaking. My thoughts go to all students and staff, and I hope no one was caught in the blaze. pic.twitter.com/TOZTkiLjMa

— Aidan Dick (@aidanrdick) June 15, 2018

and this one

I absolutely can not believe the Glasgow School of Art is on fire again. I am absolutely devastated for all the staff and especially the students. All their hardwork and their showcases ruined😓, can’t even imagine how they’re feeling pic.twitter.com/tH0cNdkpt2

— abbie (@osnapitzabs) June 15, 2018

and these

Glasgow School of Art is on fire again #Glasgowschoolofart #gsafire @BBCScotlandNews pic.twitter.com/IKalsFICIR

— Banpo & Monkey (@Banpo_Monkey) June 15, 2018

UPDATE: Nearby buildings including Campus evacuated as fire rips through Glasgow School of Art on Sauchiehall Street for second time https://t.co/6WnQ93raXm pic.twitter.com/ZkNFN4CvGv

— STV News (@STVNews) June 15, 2018

The Glasgow School of Art was a home away from home for 4 years and still such an important part of my life. To see this from my roof hurts. pic.twitter.com/hMmNjnEc35

— Peter (@sw4nton) June 16, 2018

Police images from this report (Glasgow School of Art 'extensively damaged' | BBC News) show that the entire roof has gone which means that there will be very extensive water damage as well as fire damage throughout the school.

Aerial pictures show the extent of the damage at Glasgow School of Art https://t.co/wCs3w1h21j

— STV News (@STVNews) June 16, 2018

News Reports about the Fire

These news reports provide yet more information about the fire and images of the dreadful scenes last night and this morning as the extent of the damage is surveyed.

• Flames spread through Glasgow School of Art in Scotland – in pictures | The Guardian
• Heartbreaking': fire guts Glasgow School of Art for second time | The Guardian
• Glasgow School of Art 'extensively damaged' | BBC News
• Timeline: Glasgow School of Art's devastating years | BBC News
• LIVE: Huge fire 'consumes' Glasgow's iconic Mackintosh Building | Sky News
• 'Challenging and complex': Glasgow fire ravages art school and O2 venue | Sky News
• Glasgow School of Art fire: Devastating blaze guts historic Mackintosh Building | The Telegraph
• Glasgow fire: Art school's Mackintosh building ravaged | The Telegraph - at the end because they played an advertisement before the fire video - some newspapers have no idea how to lose their reputation fast!

I love this building. It stands for everything I love about Glasgow. Devastating to see it in flames again #glasgowschoolofart pic.twitter.com/R74DvQWJlN

— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) June 16, 2018

Yesterday was Graduation Day. That means Graduation Shows will have been destroyed yet again...... CORRECTION BELOW (from BBC News)

Unlike four years ago, art students were not using the now fire-ravaged building for their degree work. Graduating student exhibitions took place at the nearby McLellan Galleries and the Glasgow School of Art's Reid Building.

Last time the fire started while Graduation Shows were being assembled and some flammable art materials caught fire.

The 2014 fire began when flammable gases from a foam canister used in a student project were ignited accidentally. A report by the SFRS concluded that old ventilation ducts helped it spread into neighbouring studios and upwards through the building.

The other fire four years ago

I'm still getting my Christmas Card every year from Glasgow School of Art for contributing to the rebuild after the fire four years ago...

These were my posts at the time - and I'm comparing pictures this time with that fire...

• Major fire at Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art
• Ash to Art - over £500k raised for Glasgow School of Art Fire Appeal
• The Mac after the Fire - an Archive, an Appeal and guess WHO!

HOW can it happen again? This will be a question being asked by many people today.

Really hope #GSOA can be preserved, the building was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and is one of the most iconic buildings in Glasgow. Just some of #GlasgowSchoolofArt’s features: pic.twitter.com/NxxX2CGxas

— Jay Sutherland (@Jay_Sutherland_) June 16, 2018