Gymnastics centers are supposed to be fun learning arenas for children. They are the places that carry on their shoulders the responsibility of nurturing future gymnastic prodigies. The gymnastics center that had recently been in the news for hosting about 300 young athletes for the annual East of Scotland acrobatic gymnastics competition is again back on the channels. But this time it’s for the horrifying incident that took place there on Saturday, which could have been disastrous. There was an outbreak of fire at Astro Gymnastics, Livingston, Scotland, which left many worrying.

The fire broke out at the sports center located at Brucefield Industrial Estate, as reported by The Scotsman. It nearly turned into the center’s biggest nightmare. The cause of the incident remains unknown, but it started around 1:00 in the afternoon. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) rushed to the scene when the alarm was raised due to thick black smoke and flames coming out of the Astro Gymnastics center. Despite the gruesome scene, thankfully there were no casualties.

The timely measures taken by SFRS and proactive steps taken by Astro Gymnastics staff saved the lives of children training there. Staff moved the children out of the center, and parents were instructed to pick them up. The gymnastics center quickly updated on social media, “Everybody is out of the building and safe.” Authorities blocked roads in the vicinity and issued an advisory for nearby residential areas. Although no causality was reported, citizens expressed their concerns.

They avoided disaster this time, but this is just one of the many cases that occur now and then. These issues aren’t restricted to gymnastics centers alone but extend to other sporting centers as well. Just two days back, a fire broke out at Woolbridge Youth Sports Complex, USA. In the summer of last year, a major fire mishap took place at West Coast Gymnasts, Australia.

And what happened at the Equestrian Center in Hempfield Township in October this year is no secret. The pressing question isn’t whether lives were lost or if they were able to rebuild. But the real question is why such incidents take place even with stringent laws in place. Scotland has a very well-defined fire safety guidance for non-residential areas, but still, Astro Gymnastics’ fire mishap took place.

Scotland’s fire safety guidance for non-residential areas

The comprehensive guide issued by the Scottish Government has it all. From safety laws, duties, advice, risk assessment, and so on. It requires non-residential complexes to follow risk reduction measures and have proper escapes, warning systems, as well as emergency provisions. It has some specific provisions concerning gymnastic centers as well.

Guidelines require gymnastic centers to use mats and similar equipment with high combustion resilience. Maybe Astro Gymnastics Center was able to avoid any casualties due to compliance. But we need more stringent compliance to avoid such incidents in the first place. These sports centers are holding the future of sports in their hands!