Gardaí investigate suspicious blaze

GARDAÍ are investigating a suspicious fire that broke out at a house in Cork city in the early hours of yesterday morning.

It is understood that a fire cracker may have been thrown through a downstairs window of the house on the Lough Road shortly before midnight.

It was not clear last night whether it was done deliberately or whether it was part of a drunken prank.

But gardaí said the homeowners were lucky to escape with their lives.

They were woken some time after midnight by the smell of smoke and the sound of breaking glass.

They arrived downstairs to find their kitchen, which is located at the rear of the house, fully ablaze.

They alerted the fire service at about 12.40am. Two units responded and fire fighters, who were on the scene within minutes, donned breathing apparatus and entered the smoke-filled room to bring the blaze under control.

No one was injured but gardaí said the homeowners were very lucky to wake when they did and to alert the fire service in time.

Gardaí preserved the scene and carried out a full technical examination early yesterday.

A number of items were sent away for analysis with results due back at some stage today.

Those results will determine the next stage of the investigation.

A senior garda spokesman appealed for anyone who may have seen a person, or group of people, acting suspiciously in the Lough Road area of the city between 11.30pm on Christmas Day and 12.30am yesterday to contact Barrack Street Garda Station.