Sub Officer Archibald McLay died at a fire in the STV studios in Hope Street, Glasgow on Monday the 3rd November 1969.
FIREMAN
MISSING IN BLAZE AT STV STUDIOS
By Staff Reporters
<PHOTO> Fire engines outside the STV studios in Hope Street, Glasgow, late last
night.
<PHOTO> A fireman overcome by smoke is assisted by his colleagues.
Teams of firemen wearing breathing apparatus combed smoke filled corridors and
fought their way through heaps of foam 6ft high in a search for a comrade
reported missing early today in a fire at the STV studios in Hope Street,
Glasgow.
The missing man – Station Officer Archibald McLay, aged 35, of Central Fire
Station – had only an hour’s supply of oxygen with him, and was estimated at
12-45 a.m. to have been missing for two hours.
The fire which started at about 4-30 p.m. yesterday, was still smouldering more
than nine hours later in the sub basement, 30 ft. below ground, where STV stored
their paper files. Firemen had covered the area in foam.
More than 90? Firemen tackled the blaze which started in a basement under studio
A, some distance from the main control unit in the studios. At one stage Mr
George Cooper, the city Firemaster, and two firemen were rescued by turntable
ladder after being overcome by smoke.
An STV official said last night:- “We have high hopes of putting out our normal
programme tomorrow.” This would be done using undamaged Glasgow studios and the
Edinburgh studios.
Yesterday was the first day for colour trials at the studios. A £250,000 colour
scanner in Studio C is enveloped in six feet of foam but officials believe it is
undamaged.
Staff sent home
The fire, believed caused by an electrical fault, started as interviewer Bill
Aitkenhead was discussing cancer in an interview on “Scotland Early” at 4-20
p.m. The person interviewed was explaining that one reason for cancer was that
“we smoke so much,” and as smoke drifted into the studio the programme ended
abruptly.
Within five minutes the 370 employees were evacuated and all but 35 programme
control staff were told to go home.
A 15 minute interruption came during “Cartoon Cavalcade” and an emergency call
was made to the Independent Television Authority in London. Programmes from
other networks were transmitted via STV’s Blackhill transmitter.
Scottish programmes affected by the fire were “Scotland Now”; “The Lion’s Share”
and “Late Call.”
Fifteen fire appliances attended. Hoses were led to the basement, which is used
for storage and rehearsals and isolated from the main studio and rehearsal
rooms.
Overcome by heat
The fire appeared to be brought under control, but later last night it broke out
again and dense clouds of smoke billowed from the building. Foam was pumped into
the studios at such a rate that fresh supplies had to be brought from Paisley.
Around 10 p.m. Firemaster Cooper, accompanied by Sub Officer Andrew Leitch and
Station Officer Norman Lees, entered the building. They were making their way
along partly lit corridors to the third floor, where they were overcome by heat
and smoke.
The men collapsed, but, holding on to each other for support, stumbled to the
second floor. There they were helped by other firemen onto a turntable ladder
down to the street.
Mr Cooper recovered in his mobile control unit but the two others were taken to
the Royal Infirmary.
Lungs scorched
Mr Cooper said later:- “We were making an inspection when we were enveloped by
smoke and heat coming up the ventilation shaft from the basement. We were not
burned but our lungs were scorched by the heat. We were not wearing breathing
apparatus.”
Earlier in the evening two firemen were overcome by smoke but after oxygen
treatment on the spot they recovered.
The fire is estimated to have cost STV, £50,000 in lost advertising revenue.
Less than a fortnight ago the company announced that profits fell from just
under £1m for last year to £198,000 for the first six months of this year.
LATE NEWS
MISSING FIREMAN. At 4-15 this
morning, the body of the fireman reported missing in yesterday’s STV studio
blaze, had not been found.
(The Glasgow Herald, Tuesday, November 4, 1969. Page 1)
Fireman’s body found in six feet of water
By a Staff Reporter
<PHOTO> Foam lies several feet deep inside one of the STV studios yesterday
after the fire, which burned for almost 24 hours.
<PHOTO> Station Officer McLay. (head & shoulders)
The body of the fireman who died while fighting the fire at the Scottish
Television studios in Hope Street, Glasgow, was recovered in six feet of water
at 7 p.m. last night, more than 20 hours after he went missing.
Five hours earlier the body of Station Officer Archibald McLay, aged 35, of
Central Fire Station, was discovered in the sub basement of the building, where
the fire is believed to have started.
He was submerged in water, and two fire brigade crews were sent into the flooded
area to recover their colleague.
It then took the firemen five hours completely to drain the basement. A lifeline
was used to pull Mr McLay’s body to the surface. More than 10 firemen, some with
tears streaming down their cheeks, carried the body from the building.
Mr McLay, who lived in Allison Street, Strathbungo, Glasgow, was married and had
two young daughters, Margo, aged 14, and Irene, aged 10.
Sixteen Injured
One fireman said later:- “We cannot say yet whether or not he died through
suffocation or drowning. A post mortem examination will be held tomorrow.”
Sixteen firemen were injured during the fire, which started at 4-30 p.m. on
Monday and was not extinguished until 1-45 p.m. yesterday. Seven, including Mr
James Watt, Glasgow’s Deputy Firemaster, were taken to hospital.
STV expect to return to normal broadcasting today. Commercials were televised
last night and, although Scottish programmes relied on transmission from STV’s
Edinburgh studio, only one programme, “Raw Deal,” was cancelled.
Mr John Loch, an official of Scottish Television, said the company expected
everything to be back to normal within the next three months, although there
might be “a bit of juggling” with programmes and more use made of the Edinburgh
studio.
Mr Loch added:- “The cost of the damage, including lost advertising revenue,
could be as much as £100,000. At present we are not certain, but the figure of
£50,000 is not far off the mark.”
“Scotland Early” was transmitted from Edinburgh last night, and “Scotland Now”
was broadcast in part from Edinburgh and in part from the STV studio C in Hope
Street, which was not affected by the fire.
Only 97 of the 400 staff at the Hope Street studios were working yesterday, and
the interviewing and reporting staff were transferred to Edinburgh.
Mr Loch said:- “We have had offers of help from television companies throughout
the country and from Strathclyde University and the Alhambra Theatre. The
“Scotland Now” programme was broadcast from Hope Street using film processed on
videotape by B.B.C.”
“We should be back to normal by the end of the week. In the short term we
guarantee all programmes to our viewers. However, we might have to use our
Edinburgh studio more since studio A has been damaged by the fire.”
Mr Loch said that the fire has not affected the introduction of colour, due next
month on STV. No colour equipment was damaged, in the fire, which is thought to
have been caused by an electrical fault in the basement.
Asked if STV will start a fund for the dead fireman’s relatives, Mr Loch said
the company will take a “very sympathetic position towards the dead man’s
relatives.”
(The Glasgow Herald, Wednesday, November 5, 1969. Page 1)
Mopping up ends today at STV
Firemen will complete mopping up operations at Scottish Television’s studios in
Hope Street, Glasgow, today, three days after the fire that cost the company an
estimated £100,000.
Two fire appliances were on duty yesterday pumping out thousands of gallons of
water from the basement where the fire started.
A Scottish Television official said last night:- “The firemen have been carrying
out a wonderful mopping up operation. They will be back tomorrow to finish the
job.”
Staff whose offices were destroyed in the fire were moved into undamaged rooms.
Fund
“Programmes were back to normal today,” the official said. “For the next three
months there will be some juggling and more use made of the Gateway Theatre,
Edinburgh.”
STV staff are contributing to a fund for the wife and two daughters of Sub
Officer Archibald McLay of the Central Fire Station, who died in the fire.
A post mortem examination carried out yesterday on Mr McLay showed that he died
of drowning. His body was recovered 20 hours after the fire started.
Sixteen other firemen were injured in the fire, seven requiring hospital
treatment.
Representatives of every fire brigade in Scotland are to attend Sub Officer
McLay’s funeral tomorrow at the Western Necropolis, Cadder Road.
Mr George Cooper, the city Firemaster, said last night that a full service
parade of firemen would accompany the cortege from Queen’s Park Fire Station,
Allison Street.
(The Glasgow Herald, Thursday, November 6, 1969. Page 26)
Tribute to STV fire victim
More than 200 Scottish firemen joined with family, relatives, and friends
yesterday to pay their last tribute to Sub Officer Archibald McLay, who died on
Monday fighting the fire at Scottish Television, Hope Street, Glasgow.
Mr McLay, who was 35, was buried at the Western Necropolis after a small private
service at his home above Queen’s Park Fire Station.
Mr George Cooper, the city’s Firemaster, led a full service parade of firemen at
the burial service. Mr Donald Liddle, Lord Provost of Glasgow, Bailie James
Anderson, convener of the city’s police and fire brigade committee, and Sir
James Robertson, chief constable, were also present.
Scottish Television was represented by Mr William Brown, managing director, and,
on behalf of the staff, Mr Arthur Montford, sports commentator.
Earlier a police squad car escorted the cortege through the city. At the front
were two fire tenders, one carrying the coffin and the other bedecked with
floral tributes from every fire brigade in Scotland as well as one from London
firemen.
The silver bells on the fire appliances were covered with black velvet as a mark
of respect and a button on the uniform of every fireman was covered with black
binding.
Firemen stood to attention beside their machines as the cortege passed South,
Marine, and North West fire stations.
At Western Necropolis more than 200 firemen stood at attention in the heavy rain
to form a guard of honour as the pall bearers, colleagues from the southern
division, walked slowly to the grave.
A piper, Fireman James Brown, of North West fire station, played the lament
“Flowers of the Forest,” as the parade ended.
(The Glasgow Herald, Saturday, November 8, 1969. Page 1)
Glasgow television theatre
10 injured in 21 hour fight to contain basement fire
A detailed
report has now been received from
Firemaster G. P. Cooper, Glasgow Fire Brigade, on the 21 hour fight to contain
the fire which broke out on November 3 at Scottish Television’s premises in the
Theatre Royal, Glasgow. As previously reported in FIRE, Sub Officer Archibald
McLay, aged 38, died during fire-fighting operations. His death was due to
drowning after falling, in dense smoke and intense heat, through a hatch opening
into a sub-basement.
Firemaster Cooper, the Deputy Firemaster and the Assistant Firemaster were among
10 officers and men who had to receive hospital treatment. Their injuries were
principally heat and smoke exhaustion, damage to lungs, burns to eyes, and
lacerations; some of the injured were incapacitated for several days.
High expansion foam
During the course of the fire the
brigade used 2,060 gallons of high-expansion foam concentrate and generated an
estimated 14 million cubic feet of foam. Twenty six Glasgow appliances were in
attendance, plus three each from Central and Western Areas and two from
Lanarkshire Area.
Two P500 generators, two P125s and one Jet-Ex 15 were in use, drawing water from
street hydrants via three pumps; five water jets were also in operation,
including one from a hydraulic platform; 50 sets of breathing apparatus were
used.
It is estimated that the five jets applied about 160,000 gallons of water, of
which about 85,000 gallons accumulated in the sub-basement where Sub Officer
McLay’s body was found.
The Theatre Royal, one of the oldest and largest theatres in the city, was of
traditional design with roof heights varying from 30 ft to 80 ft. It measured
about 280 ft by 170 ft.
The basement and sub-basement were under part of the stage, to a depth of about
20 ft. and were used for tv transmission areas and a control room. Lately the
sub-basement had been used for rehearsal purposes and for the storage of
cardboard box files in a cubicalised section. The hatch to the sub-basement had
been made to allow control equipment to be lowered.
Firemaster Cooper reports that Scottish Television appreciated the high risk
assessment of the structure and its occupancy function and had accepted a
brigade recommendation to install an automatic fire detection (heat rise)
system.
Easily adapted
“This was preferred at that time in
lieu of sprinkler protection on the basis that it could be installed more
quickly without upset to the function of transmission and was more easily
adapted to cope with the complex diversity of layout of the old theatre
building.
“At all times when alterations took place this installation was amended to
satisfy the protection of the ever-changing conditions”, continues the
Firemaster. The system was installed and maintained by AFA Ltd.
Hose reels and portable fire extinguishers were also provided in the building
and there was a fire and security staff.
At 16-12 an alarm was automatically received at North District Fire Station to
the Theatre Royal. The alarm indicator board at the security desk in the theatre
showed the outbreak to be in the sub-basement.
Standing instructions from management to the security staff in the event of fire
included initiating an organised attack on the fire and providing a guide for
Fire Brigade personnel to the scene of the incident.
What happened on November 3, says the Firemaster, was that one security officer
went to the sub-basement and used three portable extinguishers on the fire
before its growing intensity and the heat and smoke forced him to retire. The
conditions also prevented him from reaching the nearest hose reel.
Although there were sufficient security staff on duty to form an organised
attack on the outbreak, no assistance reached the man who was fighting the fire.
The first appliance arrived at 16-15 (after travelling seven-tenths of a mile)
and the officer-in-charge was guided down a stair that gave access only to the
basement. He was then taken down a second stair to the sub-basement, but at the
wrong end of it for an immediate attack on the fire.
By now the security officer who had tackled the fire could not be traced and
search parties were organised. One team of fire-fighters, wearing BA, found a
third stair to the sub-basement, but were unable to penetrate beyond the
basement landing.
Senior officers had arrived and one led a BA team into the sub-basement where
they located the fire area. With their jet they extinguished the fire there. But
they could still hear the crackle of fire above them and although they played
the jet on the ceiling it appeared to have little success. By this time
conditions in the sub-basement were critical because of smoke and heat;
visibility was nil.
This team retired as their BA cylinders were getting low, and they were replaced
in the sub-basement by a second team led by another senior officer. By now the
fire was above sub-basement level and, a plan of the building now being
available, it was decided that this team should go into the basement.
They found it divided by many partitions and were unable to locate the fire
owing to deteriorating conditions which soon forced their withdrawal.
Both these senior officers were taken to hospital, one for an eye injury and the
other for a knee wound.
The strategy
It was by now about 17-00 and
because of the worsening conditions it was decided to bring into operation
high-expansion foam units and to increase the appliances and personnel to cope
with the developing fire situation. Pumps were made six at 17-05 and at 17-16 a
second emergency tender was ordered on.
The strategy was, continues Firemaster Cooper’s report, to attack the fire by
direct application of foam via the access stairs to the basement and
sub-basement; to prevent the spread of fire, by convection of superheated gases
to the flies and roof, with a blanket of foam 15-20 ft deep on the ground floor;
and to check the penetration of fire through the proscenium wall with jets in
the auditorium.
A massive application of foam was needed to replace that constantly being broken
down by the intensity of the fire.
“By 20-00 the situation was very much in the balance and additional appliances
were called as a precaution against the possibility of a further fire spread.
Within a few minutes there was a dramatic change in the situation and there were
signs that the building might become totally involved; a further make-up of
appliances was requested at 20-05.
“As a precautionary measure the building was surrounded by 12 standby branches
in readiness for any break-out of fire from the basement. By 20-25 the gravity
of the situation appeared to be increasing and a further message was transmitted
to ‘make pumps 15’.”
Windows breached
By 21-00 there was every sign of a
sufficient heat build-up on the ground and upper floors to produce a flashover.
First floor windows were breached and cooling jets were applied. TLs were
positioned for possible developments in the upper floors and roof.
A disused doorway, formerly the theatre stage door, was forcibly opened and,
after a BA team had explored, foam was introduced through this doorway to the
basement.
General conditions improved and the Firemaster led two officers into the upper
floors to assess the situation. During this reconnaissance a blast of hot gases
from the basement welled up and caught the team in its upsurge.
The two officers were taken to hospital after collapsing in the street, but the
Firemaster refused to leave the fireground; some time later he was forced to go
for treatment as his condition had deteriorated.
About 22-45 the Assistant Firemaster took two officers, with a line of hose,
into the basement. They found a large amount of standing foam with pockets of
fire in distribution. He left the two with the hose while he went back to employ
a further jet into the basement.
Although it was possible to work without BA in the basement a BA team joined the
two officers with the jet, in case of any emergency or change in circumstances.
Dramatic change
"About 23-00”, continues Mr. Cooper,
“there was again a dramatic change. Fire suddenly broke through on the ground
floor and flashover conditions in the upper reaches of the building once more
appeared to be developing. As a precaution the basement working crew was
withdrawn.”
As the basement crew made its way towards clearer atmosphere, it was realised
that one member was missing. The officer-in-charge went back, but could find no
trace. He reported an opening in the basement floor. The Deputy Firemaster
instigated a roll-call and, later, a full-scale search of the building.
BA teams re-entered the basement and put a ladder through the floor opening into
the foam-filled sub-basement; it rested on debris unseen in the intense smoke
conditions. “A BA operator descended to explore the area corresponding to the
opening, but to no avail”, says the Firemaster.
Meanwhile the fire conditions deteriorated further and all personnel were
withdrawn except for those working on the ground floor with good routes of
escape.
At this time two BA operators went into the basement again on their own
initiative. They were seen by a Station Officer who followed them down and
ordered them out. They found that the basement fire had developed intensely and
that an approach to the floor opening was impossible. The stairs were then
plugged with foam.
By 23-30 arrangements were made for the emergency supply of more foam
concentrate and at 00-17, the ground floor foam blanket having been
re-established, a team again went into the basement. They found serious fire
still prevailing and withdrew.
At 00-36 relief crews arrived from neighbouring brigades; at 01-10 the Deputy
Firemaster was taken to hospital and detained overnight suffering from the
effects of intense smoke. Foaming was continued throughout the night and at
07-23 the Firemaster resumed command.
By this time the Assistant Firemaster was unfit for duty due to the effects of
smoke and heat on his lungs and eyes. Fire-fighting continued but it was not
until 10-40 that an entry into the basement was attempted.
Filled with foam
It was found that a large area of
the ground floor had collapsed, the basement was completely filled with foam and
there were only smouldering pockets of fire at ceiling level. The sub-basement
contained about five feet of water.
The Firemaster wirelessed the fire under control at 12-35 and at 13-33 the
“stop” was relayed.
Sub Officer McLay’s body was found in the area below the floor opening. His BA
distress warning device had not been operated. The mouthpiece of the set was not
in his mouth. A bruise suggested that he was concussed when falling and unable
to call for help.
Subsequent investigations suggested that the fire might have originated about
two hours before the time of the alarm at 16-12.
The supposed cause is considered to be a dropped light, possibly a carelessly
discarded cigarette, which ignited cardboard files. Statements to the CID by
members of the staff showed that ample evidence of smoking was always to be
found on the floor of the sub-basement. No one admitted being in the area on the
day of the fire, except two nonsmokers.
In
his general observations, Firemaster
Cooper makes these points:
“Those first few minutes of
an early attack on the fire
were lost and could be conceived as vital in this incident, being sufficient to
allow the fire to develop into a major incident……”
“Had the fire not been
successfully confined, the
entire building would almost certainly have been involved and would, having
regard to congestion and the density of surrounding age-old property, have
resulted in a fire development of the most major proportions……”
“The fire
was fought with tenacity and courage
by all personnel in a manner of which the Fire Service can be justly proud. The
prolonged tactical operation with high-expansion foam injection was rewarded in
the confinement of a difficult, complex and intense fire development which,
unfortunately, was marred by the loss of a colleague……”
(FIRE magazine, April, 1970.
Page 554.)