Major fire in Dundalk retail park, Co. Louth - Ireland

[IRISH]

A fire that damaged a number of units at an industrial estate in Dundalk is being investigated by garda?. The blaze broke out at around 7.30pm Sunday afternoon at the NorthLink Retail Park on the old Coes Road. No one was injured in the incident.

Eight units of the Dundalk, Navan and Drogheda fire service battled the fire. The scene has been preserved for a technical examination.

Garda? say they are keeping an open mind as to the cause of the fire, which destroyed one store and damaged seven other furniture stores in the town last night

Photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23385&id=100000096459902&l=0726998f8e

Youtube 1

North_Link_Retail_Park_1.avi

Youtube 2

North_Link_Retail_Park_2.avi

Youtube 3

Dundalk_fire.wmv

 

[RentalPillow]

Any idea on what exactly was burning? The first two videos seem like it's possibly scaffolding, and a scaffolding netting/protective cover. Possibly construction materials?

Edit: After looking at the pictures on facebook, it looks like maybe that was just the facade, or exterior of the building. You can see the entrance-way glass blown out and relatively heavy body of fire inside.

Are properties like that required to have sprinklers in Ireland? Are there any such laws for large public venues/retail areas?

 

[IRISH]

Hi RentalPillow

The building was a furniture store and to my knowledge sold carpet aswell. A number of adjoining retail units caught fire also.  It is the facade, or exterior of the building that you can see in the video's. Most if not all retail units around the country have this material on the outside of the buildings. Its a sort of lightweight aluminium pannell with insulation inside usually fixed onto the building.

ALL these buildings are required to have sprinklers, an electrical fire alarm system with manually operated call points & automatic fire detection system is also necessary.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 states that employers must ?ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of all employees?.

 

[efd274]

It is really a small world! - My brother kfd274 and I have several first cousins by the name of Keane who live in Dundalk. We'll have to see what they know about this the next time we talk to them.  We have more cousins in Ireland (mostly in Cork where our parents were born) than in the States.  We're proud of our Irish heritage but love the USA!!

 

[firebuffkevin]

Just glad it wasn't the HARP Brewery!!!!!!!!