Fire ravaged Art School inquiry investigation delayed yet again
Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building was destroyed by fire in June 2018.
By Democrat reporter
BBC Scotland is reporting that investigations into the fire that destroyed the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building have been hit by further delays, it has been announced.
The world-renowned Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed building was extensively damaged when a blaze broke out on 15 June 2018.
Last summer it was claimed that investigators were entering the “final phases” of their probe.
They have now said work on the site is expected to take another six months.
The blaze took hold as the building was nearing the end of a £35 million restoration following a previous fire in May 2014.
Investigators have examined two parts of the building following the removal of 400 tonnes of charred wreckage, according to the Scottish fire service.
They have also scoured hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and taken witness statements.
But before the final stages of the investigation can take place, more debris needs to be taken away from the “complex site”.
The art school announced that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service investigations would begin on 24 February and were forecast to last about 24 weeks.
Prof Alan Dunlop, one of the UK’s leading architects and a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, said: “The delays in investigation are certainly extreme but it is far better to have a forensic examination that at least offers the potential for establishing accountability.”