Neighbours Christina Maxwell and Aisling McNeill are very proud of their community in Lucan, and when a fire engulfed the home of their new neighbours, they knew they wanted to help.
The Rosse Court Grove residents have set up a fundraiser to support their neighbours, who were only moving into their new property when it went up in flames on March 3, 2026. The couple sadly lost all of their property in the devastating blaze.
Neighbours hope that the fundraiser offers a helping hand to the couple as they navigate the devastating aftermath. Aisling, who has lived in the area for 20 years, was at home when the fire started just two doors up.
Working from home that day, she heard the sound of glass shattering, but after checking around outside, she saw nothing suspicious. Minutes later, she began to smell smoke. Stepping outside once more, she witnessed the fire as it quickly took hold.
“I went back down and one of my neighbours was at the door then, saying that the apartment was on fire. From where I had looked, where there was no evidence 10 minutes before, it was now very obvious it was a big blaze,” she told Dublin Live.
Christina was also at home at the time of the fire, having just returned to her property from taking her son to an appointment. After hearing a loud bang, she began to smell smoke in her home and feared the worst, looking around to see if something in her own home had gone alight.
After realising the smoke was coming from outside, she noticed some neighbours were gathered and joined them, seeing that the source was her neighbour’s property.
“They started ringing the guards, they rang the fire brigade, they rung everybody. And the smoke just started getting bigger and bigger. We realised we’re going to have to start knocking on doors. We need to get people out, because not an awful lot of people had noticed,” Christina said.
“So we got everybody out, then the guards came, they blocked off the whole road. The smoke just started getting bigger and bigger. You could see on the roof where the smoke was coming through, it was like a bubbling kind of effect. And then out of nowhere, the flames started coming.”
Image: GoFundMe
Aisling said that raising some money was the most practical way she could think of to help. “They had nothing. They literally left with the clothes in their backs, it was an absolute inferno, there was nothing salvageable and you can’t even imagine that.
“I think we all know when you move into a new place there is that excitement and that happiness of moving into your new home, and to have everything taken in the space of two hours… I think everyone couldn’t believe the horror of it particularly for somebody who had just moved in. The fundraiser was a practical way to help and a way for the community to show support,” she added.
She said that the area is very supportive of one another, and that you can always knock into someone if you need something. “People from other roads even within the development were coming down to see could they help. You know, people were genuinely really wanting to do something – anything! Anything to try and offer some support.”
She added that the neighbours are “extremely grateful for everyone that’s donated so far.” The Rossecourt house fire fundraiser is, at the time of writing, half way to their goal.
Gardaà confirmed that the fire is not being treated as suspicious.
“Gardaà and emergency services attended the scene of a fire at a domestic residence in Balgaddy, Lucan, Co. Dublin on Tuesday, 3rd March 2026. A number of people were evacuated from the property. The local fire service extinguished the fire. There were no injuries reported,” a Garda spokesperson told Dublin Live.
Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here.