Residents in Glasgow were alerted last night to heavy smoke following a significant fire in the Ruchill area. The incident occurred at an abandoned building on Benview Street, with flames visible from a distance. Local authorities advised residents to keep their windows and doors closed to avoid smoke inhalation.

Emergency services received the first call about the fire at 8:09pm on Friday. Three fire crews were dispatched to the scene, including a height appliance, to tackle the blaze. The fire broke out near the Murano Street Student Village, which houses many overseas students ahead of the new academic year.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed, "We received the initial call at 8:09 to a report of a building on fire in Ruchill Park area of Glasgow. We mobilised two appliances and a height appliance to the scene. Crews are still there and there are no reported casualties."

Despite the intensity of the flames, no injuries have been reported. However, residents in the surrounding areas, particularly Murano Street, Bilsland Drive, Lenny Street, and Benview Street, were advised to stay indoors due to the smoke.

Police Scotland is now assisting in the investigation to determine the cause of the fire. A police spokesperson stated, "Police are assisting Scottish Fire and Rescue Service colleagues at the scene of a large fire at a derelict building on Benview Street, Ruchill, Glasgow. Due to the heavy smoke from the fire, local residents are advised to avoid Ruchill Park, and to keep windows and doors closed, especially in the areas of Murano Street, Bilsland Drive, Benview Street, Lenny Street. Enquiries into the cause of the fire are continuing."

This incident follows another significant fire in Liverpool last week, where firefighters urged families to keep their doors and windows closed due to a blaze at Woolton Hall, an 18th-century mansion. Fire crews were called to the scene at around 8pm on Tuesday, where they battled a large fire that engulfed the three-storey building for several hours.