Glasgow School of Art burned down! Again?

[srw]

I suspect the most likely explanation is hot work somewhere in the restoration. Someone has put down a blowtorch or some other source of heat without checking that it's properly cold and it's started smouldering, then burning.

That's a very common reason for big burns.

There's no reason for the owners or contractors to commit arson, and elevtrelec failure is very unlikely in a newly refurbished building.

I believe that there were no students in occupation yet, so no work to lose.

 

[slowmotion]

Sparks from an angle grinder are another common cause. If they land in some sawdust, they can start a slowly smouldering fire.

 

[Globalti]

Possibly some Danish oil on a rag that was left scrunched up. The oil oxidizes, heat builds up and poof.

 

[Archie_tect]

During construction a building is unprotected from fire as the fire separation safeguards between floors and zones may not have been in place but the spread of the fire taking out the nightclub and the O2 Arena suggests that there's a lot more to emerge yet as the fire separation between the surrounding separate buildings should have given at least 60 minutes protection until the fire brigade arrived. Thank goodness no-one was hurt - it the club and O2 had been full it could have been a catastrophe.

 

[furball]

Pity it wasn't the big white elephant that is DG1.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-40493192