Residents evacuated as fire threatens entire street

Gardaí, finishing duty early yesterday morning, raised the alarm as a fire threatened to gut an entire street in a Co Kerry town.

No one was injured but residents living above some commercial properties in Killorglin were evacuated for their safety.

The town’s Langford St was closed until lunchtime as investigators examined the scene.

The outbreak, in the downstairs of a commercial building, was accidental, it emerged.

Gardaí, completing a patrol at 4am, spotted the large fire which engulfed three other buildings and damaged a fourth.

Officers stationed nearby immediately evacuated flats where some of the residents were elderly.

Locally-based Sergeant Gerard Lee said the whole street was in danger. The terraced row is comprised mainly of two-storey buildings.

The sergeant said it was fortunate even more buildings were not affected.

Gardaí, he said, were satisfied the fire, which destroyed a hairdresser’s and a video shop, was accidental.

Seven units of the Kerry Fire Service with crews from Killorglin, Killarney and Tralee battled the fire which destroyed at least one building.

In Jun 2009, two elderly sisters lost their lives when their Langford St pub caught fire. Yesterday’s fire was on the opposite side of the busy street.