A young man and a child are being treated in hospital following a house fire in Cork city early this morning, with Gardaí now launching an investigation into the cause of the blaze. Cork City Fire Brigade was called out to the two-story terraced house in Ballyphehane at around 6:30 am after reports of a fire on the ground floor.
The man, aged in his late 20s, and the child managed to escape the home before the fire services arrived, after being assisted by their neighbour. Three units attended the scene, and firefighters wearing breathing apparatuses entered the property to get the blaze under control.
The fire had taken hold on the ground floor, but Leeside’s brave firefighters managed to extinguish it shortly after arriving on the scene. The blaze and the resulting smoke caused significant damage to the property, and the occupants were handed over to the care of National Ambulance Service personnel.
The occupants were treated at the scene before being brought to the hospital for further assessment. It’s understood they are being treated for smoke inhalation with no major injuries reported at this time.
Gardaí were also called to the scene in Ballyphehane early this morning, and the area around the property has since been sealed off for a technical examination. It’s understood that Gardaí are treating this incident as a suspected arson case, and forensic teams are working to establish the exact cause of the fire.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed that Gardaí are currently at the scene of a fire that occurred at a domestic residence in Ballyphehane, Cork city, but are unable to provide further information due to the ongoing nature of the incident.
This is the second time in a week that Cork city Gardaí have examined the scene of a fire for suspected arson, following another incident in Rochestown last Monday.
Victor Shine, Second Officer at Cork City Fire Brigade, told CorkBeo: “Cork City Fire Brigade was called out to a fire at a two-story terraced house in Ballyphehane early this morning. Two people were removed from the property, a child and an adult male aged in his late 20s, who were assisted by their neighbour.
“All were treated for smoke inhalation before being handed over to the National Ambulance Service. Gardaí attended the scene this morning and are investigating the cause of the fire. The occupants were taken to the hospital.
“Three units of Cork City Fire Brigade attended the scene, and crews used breathing apparatuses to enter the property and get the fire under control.”
Last week, Gardaí and emergency services were called to a property in Rochestown in the early hours of Monday, February 16, following reports of a house fire in the area.
Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control, but the fire caused severe damage to the front facade and a portion of the ground floor before it was extinguished. The occupants, a woman in her 40s, a man in his 20s and a male youth, were rescued from the building and treated at the scene by members of the Cork City Fire Brigade before later being brought to hospital.
The scene was sealed off overnight, and a technical examination was carried out after dawn, with Gardaí later confirming to CorkBeo that they were treating the incident as criminal damage by fire. A full investigation into the matter has been launched and remains ongoing.
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