Tuesday March 31st 2026
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Drew Sandelands
Firefighters are inspecting vape shops in Glasgow before issuing safety guidance to owners, following the devastating Union Street blaze.
Audits of sites similar to those involved in the huge fire on March 8 are being carried out by protection officers at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The fire, which engulfed the whole building on the corner of Union Street and Gordon Street and shut Glasgow Central station for weeks, appeared to start in a vape shop at 105 Union Street.
Fire chiefs told a recent meeting of the Safe Glasgow partnership, which scrutinises police and fire activity, that it was “probably impossible” to audit every single premises selling vapes in the city.
Group commander Craig Campbell said there are thousands of premises and “a team of eight personnel in the fire safety enforcement unit”. The team prioritises audits of “high risk” buildings like hotels, care homes and hospitals.
But a thematic audit is being carried out where officers will “hand pick a number of vape shops” — believed to be 36 — and “will provide some general guidance that then gets fed out on a wider basis across the city”.
A motion by Bailie Christy Mearns, Greens, which could go before a full council meeting on Thursday, calls on the Scottish Government to provide “additional resource in the immediate term” to allow the fire service to “target engagement with premises selling vaping products, and other products containing lithium-ion batteries, to provide fire safety advice”.
Scottish Fire and Rescue confirmed its team of protection officers, which audits premises and their fire safety risk assessment to ensure compliance, would be carrying out audits on sites similar to those involved in the Union Street fire.
Owners and occupiers of all non-domestic buildings have a legal responsibility to carry out a fire safety risk assessment undertaken by a suitably competent person. A thematic audit helps to sample compliance levels with the Fire (Scotland) Act 2025. They can lead to immediate action when required and also inform wider learning.
At the Safe Glasgow meeting, Mr Campbell said although the fire had started in a vape shop, the cause was not yet known as the investigation is ongoing. He added learning from the thematic audit, which will take around eight weeks, would be used to provide guidance across the city.
Mr Campbell also said there needed to be a “risk-based” and “measured” approach to auditing premises selling vapes.
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