Lanarkshire son of firefighter killed in warehouse blaze says fate decided by 'toss of coin'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The East Kilbride son of a firefighter killed in a massive warehouse blaze 50 years ago has said his dad was killed due to the toss of a coin.

Derek Hooper’s father William and six colleagues died while tackling a fire at Glasgow’s Kilbirnie Street on August 25, 1972.The team had gone in to rescue their trapped ­colleague, James Rook, when the fire ignited the hardwood ceilings on the first floor, leading to a huge 'flash over', killing them all.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android It is one of the highest losses of life for the UK fire service at a single incident in peacetime.Derek, 61, revealed his dad had stepped in to cover a shift at the station before they were called out to the fire at Sher Brothers’ cash and carry store.

The shop fitter told our sister paper, the Daily Record: “My dad worked in the North West fire station in Maryhill but they needed someone in the South fire station that day so he and a ­colleague flipped a coin for the shift. "My dad had won and went over to help them out for that one-off shift, thinking he would get finished earlier."It was on that shift they got called out to the warehouse fire and he died.