66 years after the tragedy on Cheapside Street

A remembrance service has been held at the Glasgow Necropolis to honour the memory of 19 men who died as a result of the Cheapside Street fire of 1960. 

The fire, which started inside a bonded whisky warehouse on Cheapside Street on the evening of 28 March 1960, escalated rapidly before causing an explosion which killed 14 first responders from the Glasgow Fire Service and five from the Glasgow Salvage Corps. 

At the height of the incident, 30 pumps, five turntable ladders, and specialist resources were deployed, while approximately 450 firefighters worked to contain and fully extinguish the fire over the course of seven days.  

Those who attended the memorial (on Friday, 27 March, 2026) reflected not only on the firefighters’ professional dedication but also on their lives as fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. 

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Chief Officer Stuart Stevens was joined by SFRS Board Chair Mhairi Wylie, Area Commander and Local Senior Officer Andrew Kenna, HMFSI Chief Inspector Robert Scott, and Glasgow City Council Bailie Linda Pike to lay wreaths and observe a moment of solemn reflection to honour those who lost their lives in the Cheapside incident. 

Chief Officer Stevens said: “As we gather today to honour the nineteen firefighters who lost their lives at Cheapside Street, we are reminded that their courage continues to guide our Service more than six decades later.  

“Their selflessness is woven into our history and shapes the values we live by. Every firefighter who steps forward does so with the same spirit of duty shown by those men in 1960.  

“We remember them not only for how they died, but for how they lived - with pride, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to protect the lives of others.” 

The nineteen Glasgow Fire Service and Glasgow Salvage Corps members who died at Cheapside Street were fire service Sub Officers James Calder and John McPherson and Firemen Christopher Boyle, William Crocket, Archibald Darroch, Alexander Grassie, George McIntyre, Daniel Davidson, Edward McMillan, Alfred Dickinson, William Watson, John Allan, Gordon Chapman, and Ian McMillan. 

From Glasgow Salvage corps there was Superintendent Edward Murray, Leading Salvageman James McLellan, Salvagemen Gordon McMillan, William Oliver and James Mungall. 

SFRS continues its commitment to ensuring their memory endures, preserving the lessons and legacy of Cheapside Street for future generations.