10 Jun 2013
A fire that ripped through the roof of Scotland’s major new entertainment hub may delay the building’s opening date.
The blaze engulfed part of the domed roof at the Hydro near the River Clyde on Saturday, although the full extent of the damage is not yet known.
Around 40 firefighters were called upon to tackle the fire, which was eventually put out by early evening.
No-one was hurt in the incident and investigations are now underway to find out exactly what caused the roof to go up in flames, although it is believed a rubber covering played a part.
The £125 million construction at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) is scheduled to open on September 30 with a performance by Rod Stewart, but bosses said they cannot confirm whether the fire will delay its opening.
They did, however, admit it would be at least a week before it is known how much the fire will impact on the 12,000-seat arena’s completion date.
“The fire started in an area underneath the external roof gutter,” said SECC chief John Sharkey.
“A rubber covering over the packaging caught fire between the outside and inside of the construction. When the building is complete, this covering will be in a fire-contained area.”
Copyright Press Association 2013