Glasgow Hydro fire: Probe into cause of blaze under way

Glasgow Hydro operators say it could be a week before they know whether it will open on time as investigations continue into the fire at the venue.

Dozens of firefighters were called to the scene of the £125m construction site and a high reach ladder was used to tackle the blaze.

The 12,000 seat arena had been scheduled to open in September, with a performance by Rod Stewart.

Arena operators said it was too early to assess the impact of the fire.

About 40 firefighters and five appliances were called to the Hydro construction site of the on the banks of the River Clyde at about 15:20 on Saturday.

Workmen remove burnt insulation after the fire in the domed Hydro roof

Smoke and flames were seen coming from the edge of the domed roof and burning debris was dropping from the building. There were no reports of any casualties.

Construction work to cover the roof of arena has been taking place over the past several weeks.

Group Commander John Rae, from the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, said: "The initial firefighting actions and tactical decision-making from the first attending crews prevented the fire from spreading far more rapidly than it did and thus limited the damage caused.

"Fires within the roof space of any building gives major problems to firefighters, especially in terms of access and this was a new building under construction with an unusual design."

'Assess damage'

The Hydro will be part of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) complex in Glasgow.

SECC chief executive John Sharkey said it could be a week before it is known whether the Hydro will open in September as scheduled.

He said: "The building contractor, Lend Lease, will have to assess the fire and water damage and then work out what remediation measures are needed to bring the project to completion."

He added he was "aware of uncertainty amongst fans and promoters" and that an announcement would be made as soon as possible.

Some construction work was due to resume on site on Sunday.

In addition to Rod Stewart, artists lined up to play the arena include Jessie J, Peter Gabriel and Simple Minds.