A major fire near Glasgow Central Station forced the closure of Scotland’s busiest railway hub after flames ripped through a Union Street building believed to house a vape shop. Around 60 firefighters tackled the blaze as part of the structure collapsed, causing major rail disruption and prompting an ongoing investigation into the cause.
GLASGOW – A major fire nearby Glasgow Central StationScotland’s busiest railway hub, forced the station to close and caused widespread travel disruption after a blaze ripped through a city-centre building on Sunday afternoon. Authorities say the fire appears to have started in a vape shop on Union Street before spreading through a multi-storey commercial building.
Emergency services were first alerted to the incident at approximately 3:45-3:46 pm local timewhen reports of flames and a loud explosion prompted a large-scale response from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. At its peak, around 60 firefighters and multiple appliances were deployed to contain the blaze.
Cause: Fire Believed to Have Started in Vape Shop
Early reports from local authorities and media indicate the blaze originated in a ground-floor vape shop within a four-storey building on Union Street. The fire then rapidly spread upwards through the structure.
Witnesses described hearing a “loud bang” before seeing thick smoke and flames pouring from the building. Some reports suggest Gas canisters inside the shop may have explodedintensifying the fire, although officials have not confirmed a definitive cause yet.
Investigators are expected to examine:
- Possible ignition inside the vape shop
- The presence of gas or pressurized containers
- Structural factors in the historic building
The building, believed to date back to 1851partially collapsed during the blaze.
Station Closed and Travel Disrupted
The fire forced authorities to close Glasgow Central Stationholding all services to and from its high-level platforms and causing dozens of train cancellations.
Key impacts include:
- Major disruption to ScotRail and long-distance services
- Hundreds of passengers are stranded
- Police cordons around Union Street and the surrounding roads
Low-level trains passing through the station have been diverted or are bypassing the hub entirely. Officials warned that disruption could continue into Monday and possibly longer.
Evacuations and Emergency Response
Nearby buildings—including hotels and businesses close to the station—were evacuated as firefighters battled the blaze. In some cases, crews pumped water from the River Clyde to help fight the fire.
Authorities confirmed:
- No casualties have been reported so far
- Nearby streets remain closed to the public
- Residents were advised to keep windows closed due to heavy smoke
Social Media Footage and Misinformation
Videos circulating on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) showed dramatic flames and collapsing sections of the building. Some clips described the event as “apocalyptic,” but officials warned that several viral videos were AI-generated or misleading and do not accurately depict the incident.
situation now
Firefighters remain on site, monitoring hotspots and ensuring surrounding structures are safe. Authorities say the full cause of the fire will be determined after a formal investigation once the scene is secured.
Local officials have urged the public to avoid the city center while emergency crews continue operations.