Johnstone firefighters and members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Area Management Team have taken time this week to honour the memory of Firefighter Edmund E. Burt, who lost his life in the line of duty 57 years ago today.
On Monday 7th October 1968, Edmund, aged just 23, was responding to a fierce fire at the Linwood Paper Mill when tragedy struck. Despite the bravery and quick response of the crews at the scene, Edmund was fatally injured when a wall collapsed as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.
The Western Area Fire Brigade report of 1968 records that the first emergency call was received at 2.43pm by Johnstone Fire Station. Fire crews from Johnstone and Paisley rushed to the 19th-century building, a former cotton store, where the blaze had already engulfed much of the structure.
The report details the intense conditions firefighters faced:
“Whilst fighting a fire at the Linwood Paper Mill… four of the employees had been caught in a surge of flame. They were being treated for various degrees of burns while the appliances were arriving.”
A full response was mounted, with ten jets and one water tower jet brought into use, supplied by pumps from street hydrants and an open water source within the mill grounds. John Apolb, whose family owned and operated the mill, was the last person to leave the building as the flames intensified.
At 3.45pm, disaster struck. The west wall collapsed, trapping four firefighters beneath the falling masonry. A desperate rescue effort followed. Three crew members were recovered alive, but tragically, Firefighter Burt was killed.
Those injured and taken to hospital included:
- Gerrard Gallacher, 26, Seedhill Road
- Ian Smillie, 25, McKenzie Street
- Charles Bishop, 52, Sycamore Avenue, Johnstone
- Gordon Squires, 22, Holmecroft Street, Greenock
Firefighter Burt, who came from Largs, was remembered as a dedicated and courageous member of the service, whose commitment to protecting others ultimately cost him his life.
In 2018, on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, a memorial to Edmund was unveiled on Napier Street in Linwood, close to the site of the fire. It stands as a lasting tribute to his sacrifice and a reminder of the risks firefighters take every day to keep their communities safe.
Today, 57 years later, colleagues past and present continue to honour his memory — ensuring that the bravery and sacrifice of Firefighter Edmund E. Burt are never forgotten.
Paisley Photographs 