Douglas homeowners narrowly avoid explosion after hot ashes set fire to gas pipe
The latest addition to the fleet of vehicles for Cork City Fire Brigade. Picture: Larry Cummins
Homes in Douglas were evacuated on Sunday morning after hot ashes, removed from a fire grate in a house, were placed outside to cool and set fire to a gas pipe.
An explosion and major fire were avoided when a resident smelled smoke at 7am and called Cork City Fire Brigade.
Four people – two parents, a child and a grandfather – were evacuated from one house and a family of three were evacuated from the second house.
But no major fire damage was done and the residents were able to move back into their homes today.
“It could have been very nasty, only for that person smelled the smoke,” Ger Ryan, Third Officer with Anglesea Street Fire Station, said.
Cork City Fire Brigade is warning people to always put ashes in fireproof containers and keep them isolated from anything combustible.
“If you're putting out hot ashes make sure to put them in a suitable, metal container well away from anything combustible and especially keep them away from gas and electricity supplies,” Mr Ryan, said.
“The fire was accidental. Someone put out hot coals to cool down outside but they set fire to a gas pipe.
“Luckily, the person smelled smoke at 7am and called us.
“People think they’re doing the right thing, being tidy, putting the ashes by the side of the house, but these ashes burned a hole into the gas main.” The house was evacuated and ventilated until the gas company came and turned off the supply.
“The actual shut-off valve for the house itself was damaged with the fire. It could have been a very serious incident," Mr Ryan said.
“We evacuated the house next door, it’s a semi-detached house, and we cordoned off the area, 50 metres either side of the house, just to make sure no traffic would cause any issues with igniting escaping gas.”
A spate of car fires across Cork City on Saturday night was also attended to by Cork City Fire Brigade.
The fires are suspected to have been started maliciously and are under investigation by gardaí.
Three vehicle fires were extinguished – in the Commons Road are in the north side of the city, on the road to Blarney and in Mahon on the south side.
Cork City Fire Service responded to 60 incidents between Christmas Day and the morning of December 31, including industrial fires, house fires and vehicle fires.
Rescues were made from a house fire in the Hollyhill area of Cork city on Friday morning. Three people were hospitalised for smoke inhalation. An electrical fault is the suspected cause of the fire.
On Christmas Day, the service also responded to a house fire on Dyke Parade in the city centre and prevented the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings. A man and a woman were taken to Mercy University Hospital to receive treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
Missing person searches along the Lee and river rescues were also embarked on by Cork City firefighters over the Christmas period.
A major multi-agency search of the River Lee in Cork City was launched at low tide on Saturday for someone last seen on CCTV very near the river on December 16.
“The search has been ongoing all the time for this person,” Mr Ryan said.
“It’s particularly hard for families having someone missing at this time of year.”
Cork City Fire Brigade also responded to an industrial fire in Little Island on Sunday morning and a pharmacy fire on Thursday night in the Maryborough Hill area of Douglas.
Mr Ryan said that the Christmas period had been particularly busy.
“We'll be stepping up our public safety awareness campaigns again so that coming into the new year, everybody doubles down and checks smoke alarms and checks in on elderly people,” he said.
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