Union Street blaze sparks outrage after nearby hotel refuses evacuation

Residents at a small hotel a few yards from the Union Street blaze say they were left under-protected as firefighters battled a rapidly spreading fire that later brought down the dome of Forsyth House. The controversy highlights immediate questions about how emergency plans protect vulnerable people living near major incidents.

William Young, 44, who has been staying at the Rennie Mackintosh Station Hotel on Union Street, watched the fire unfold from a short distance and says guests — many of whom are in temporary accommodation — were not moved out despite the escalating emergency. He says staff could not provide clear information and that residents felt overlooked during the first critical hours.

Incident and response

The fire began shortly after 3.40pm on Sunday in a vape shop on Union Street and quickly spread through adjacent property. As crews worked to contain the blaze, the landmark Forsyth House dome partially collapsed, and several businesses in the area were damaged or forced to close.

Emergency services established cordons: the fire service set an inner exclusion zone around the site while Police Scotland managed an outer perimeter to control traffic and pedestrians. Some neighbouring premises, including Glasgow Central Station and the Voco Grand Central hotel, were evacuated and guests were advised to relocate elsewhere.

• Location: Union Street, Glasgow — fire originated in a vape shop.
• Time: Around 3.40pm on Sunday; fire spread rapidly.
• Damage: Partial collapse of the Forsyth House dome; multiple businesses affected.
• Evacuations: Several nearby buildings evacuated; Rennie Mackintosh guests remained in place.
• Investigation: A multi-agency investigation has been launched into the cause and handling of the incident.

Young says parts of the hotel lost power on Sunday night and intermittently afterwards, and that from Wednesday police officers have been escorting people through the cordon. He described the situation as confusing and distressing for those with nowhere else to go.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said evacuation options for neighbouring buildings were discussed at joint agency meetings and that partners were satisfied the structures that remained occupied were safe. Police Scotland and local authorities were involved in establishing the perimeter controls, the service added.

The Rennie Mackintosh Station Hotel confirmed that guests were not evacuated during the fire. Glasgow Live has contacted the hotel and Police Scotland for further comment.

For city officials and emergency planners the episode raises practical questions: how are safeguarding needs for people in temporary housing assessed during fast-moving incidents, and how is information relayed to those inside a cordon when other parts of the city are being cleared?

Those answers will be central to the ongoing probe. In the meantime, residents and business owners close to the site are left to deal with the immediate aftermath — damaged property, interrupted services and uncertainty about when normal access will resume.

Investigators are continuing their work on the cause of the fire; anyone with information relevant to the inquiry is being asked to come forward to the appropriate emergency services.