Investigations are under way after a large fire broke out in a Waterford city industrial estate on Saturday evening.
The blaze took hold in the old Jute factory in the Tycor Business Centre area of the city around 6.30pm. The area is surrounded by a number of homes and businesses.
One business owner who watched as his premises was destroyed by the blaze was “still numb” on Sunday as he processed seeing “a lifetime’s work down the drain in minutes”.
Andrew Hepburn, founder of DG Foods, a wholesale supplier to restaurants and cafes, stored stock at the building.
RM Block
Scores of firefighters from several fire units from the city and surrounding towns of Dungarvan, Dunmore East, Portlaw and Tramore attended the scene and worked through the night to bring the blaze under control.
Hepburn said when he arrived at the scene on Saturday the fire seemed small. He let firefighters into the end of the building where his premises was located.
“The whole thing just went within 20 minutes. All our stock, fridges, forklifts, we thought they were safe but they were gone within minutes,” he said.
“We were standing outside watching, thinking it wasn’t really happening, a lifetime’s work down the drain in minutes.”
He said he had spoken to local public representatives on Sunday, asking for “relief funding along the lines of that given when businesses are destroyed by floods”.
Echoing him, Scott Hamell, founder of recording and mixing studio Mono-Hazard, said he would “love if anything can be done by Government”.
He rented a unit in the building and kept guitars, pedals, recording and mixing equipment there, which he shared with “up-and-coming local bands”.
“I am still a bit shocked, struggling to let it all settle in. I am absolutely heartbroken. I didn’t have insurance because we weren’t set up as a business. We were just trying to set up a community,” Hamell said.
Caroline O’Toole, who runs sewing school Speak in Stitches, was hopeful her unit was not badly damaged.
“Just going by the aerial photographs, the roof is still there where my unit is. There might be smoke damage and I suppose the building will have to undergo construction, so we will be closed for some time.
“At the moment I am just cancelling classes for next week. I am relieved. There are a lot of people in a much worse situation.”
Nearby residents were evacuated on Saturday evening while electricity and gas supplies to surrounding buildings and homes were turned off as a precaution. Gardaí said no injuries had been reported.
The fire broke out close to Walsh Park, where the Munster hurling championship game between Waterford and Cork was coming to an end, with large flames visible.
In a statement on Sunday morning, Waterford City and County Council said the fire had been brought under control. “No casualties have been reported. However, the building has been extensively damaged and fire service operations continue at the site this morning. Waterford City and County Council is advising members of the public to avoid the area as operations continue.”
The cause of the fire is not known but gardaí, the local authority and fire services are investigating.
Local Sinn Féin TD Conor D McGuinness added his thoughts were with the firefighters who battled the blaze and all the residents and businesses nearby dealing with smoke, power disruption and “very real anxiety”.
McGuinness said: “There is concern locally around air quality and possible asbestos risks. Please follow the advice to avoid the area and stay indoors with windows and doors shut if smoke is nearby.”
