Fire chiefs confident of finding cause of Glasgow School of Art fire but warn it will take time

Fire chiefs are confident they will discover how the blaze which engulfed the Glasgow School of Art started but warned the "very complex" investigation will take time.

Four appliances remained at the scene at midday on Monday following the fire, which was reported in the Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece at 11.19pm on Friday and spread rapidly to nearby buildings including the O2 ABC.

The blaze is the second in four years to hit the building, which was undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration project to return it to its former glory.

Construction experts have warned there is a "growing consensus" that the A-listed landmark, which has been reduced to a shell, will have to be pulled down for safety reasons.

The estimated cost of rebuilding the school has been put at between £100 million and £200 million. However, a Glasgow MP who visited the site yesterday raised hopes it could be saved, saying that the main structural beams are "largely intact."

It is understood that automatic sprinklers had not been fully installed as the building was still undergoing refurbishment after the fire four years ago.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the investigation into the cause of the blaze has already started and they believe they will be able to pinpoint how it started.

Assistant Chief Officer David McGown of the SFRS said: "Our fire investigation team has started gathering information and, working alongside our police partners, will look at various sources of information to establish exactly what has happened here.

"However, I would like to stress that this is a very complex process and will take time."

was comprised of specialists who will examine "every aspect" including the cause, how it spread and the safety measures in place.

Mr McGown earlier told BBC Radio Scotland "I can give this guarantee that we will find out what happened in this fire, what the cause was and what the cause of spread was."

At the height of the blaze more than 120 firefighters were fought the blaze, with water being pumped from the River Clyde. It is believed to have started in the lower east wing, before spreading quickly to the rest of the building.

There have been no reports of any casualties. A few pockets of fire remain which crews were still working to extinguish on Monday.

The fire has triggered an outpouring of grief from students, staff and former alumni including the artist and playwright John Byrne. Sir Billy Connolly visited the site on Saturday.

Singer Annie Lennox tweeted: "So sad and disappointed for everyone affected by this 2nd devastating fire... (who would believe??!!) at Glasgow's historic and renowned Charles Rennie Mackintosh art school. .. the renovators, students, staff, alumni, noble fire fighters and everyone in Glasgow."

Muriel Gray, chairman of the school's board of governors, has said "everyone is utterly devastated" but they remain "hopeful of as positive an outcome as possible."

Paul Sweeney, the Labour MP for Glasgow North East, yesterday tweeted that "the Mack will endure" after being escorted around the site by the fire service.

Mr Sweeney, who is director of the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, said it was clear the interior is almost entirely lost but the main structural beams appear to still be largely intact.

He told the BBC: "Whatever needs to happen to make this building realised again as Mackintosh's vision has to happen."