Fire at furniture store blamed on electrical fault

AN ELECTRICAL fault is being blamed for the huge blaze at a furniture store in west Cork yesterday.

While it took four fire crews of 18 fire personnel several hours to fully extinguish the blaze at Abbey Furniture, Bridge St, Skibbereen, no one was injured in the incident.

Several buildings, including apartments attached to the shop, had to be evacuated.

Shortly after 1.15pm sparks were spotted in the entrance to Abbey Furniture by two gardaí on mobile patrol. Within minutes of them notifying emergency services the blaze had taken hold.

Two fire crews led by Frank Fahy were the first on the scene. He summoned two more crews from Schull to act as back-up when he saw the severity of the fire.

“The most difficult part of dealing with the fire was in the beginning,” said Mr Fahy.

“There was virtually an electrical storm inside the door, which made it highly dangerous for firemen to go in. We could not use water because of the fear of electrocution so people in breathing apparatus used dry powder extinguishers.”

Fire crews remained at the scene for several hours to let the blaze cool down and to ensure it had not spread to any of the adjoining buildings.

Mr Fahy said a large amount of smoke seeped into the adjoining jewellers as well as the overhead apartments.

He said they ascertained the fire started accidentally. The electrical fault appeared to have started in a fuse box at the entrance to the shop.

This is the second big fire in Bridge St in less than two years.

Foreign-born arsonist Vladimir Raspapov burnt the Church Restaurant and a number of other buildings in April 2006.

The fire took hold exceptionally quickly after Raspapov lit gas from four cylinders outside the restaurant. He was jailed for eight years.