Plaque honours firefighter for ‘self-sacrifice on an almost indescribable scale’

A plaque has been unveiled for a Glasgow firefighter who died attempting to rescue a woman trapped in a blaze 50 years ago.

Adrian McGill, who was 34, is thought to have given the woman his oxygen mask in an attempt to save her life on November 18 1972.

The fire began in a shop, with 200 people having to be evacuated from the smoke-filled area, and 50 families being made homeless after the fire.

The plaque was unveiled at Maryhill Fire Station on Friday afternoon.

Four other firefighters were treated for injuries including one who fell 30ft.

Mr McGill’s body was found with signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and tragically the woman also died.

He was married with three children and his youngest child was just eight months old.

The firefighter was the eighth Glasgow firefighter to die in a fire in three months, with seven dying in the Kilbirnie Street textile warehouse blaze in August, and the 27th to have lost their life in the previous 12 years.

The honour will be part of the Fire Brigades Union’s Red Plaque Scheme which commemorates firefighters who have died in the line of duty.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary, said: “Firefighters will always do everything they can to save lives. Adrian McGill’s bravery extended to laying his life down in an attempt to save another.

“It is so important that what he did is never forgotten. Red Plaques help firefighters to feel connected to those who came before them and helps them to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

“The Fire Brigades Union is proud and privileged to play a role in making sure that Adrian McGill is remembered.”

Seona Hart, FBU Scotland regional treasurer, said: “Adrian McGill made a split-second decision out of care for someone else, a stranger who he had never met before, and a decision which he would have known came with huge risk.

“It is self-sacrifice on an almost indescribable scale. There’s a quote that states that there is no more stirring symbol of our humanity towards others than a fire engine. Adrian McGill and what he did personify that.

“This plaque will ensure that the Glasgow community knows about the sacrifice that Adrian McGill made, and it will help Glasgow’s firefighters remember one of their own.”