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40 jobs lost after Moville fire
03.02.09
Waterfront "inferno"
devastates Moville
MOVILLE is reeling following a major seaside blaze
described by fire chiefs as one of the worst in
Donegal history. The fire at The Waterfront bar and
restaurant, broke out in the early hours of Sunday
and raged for hours, fanned by strong inshore winds.
Miraculously, there was no loss of life, but the
inferno has robbed Moville of 40 much-needed jobs
and a restaurant enjoyed by locals and visitors
alike.
Devastated owner Seamus McLaughlin held meetings
yesterday with insurers amid fears his gutted
three-storey building will now have to be
demolished. |
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He confirmed his
restaurant and bar had given employment to 40 full
and part-time staff. At one point, the raging flames
spread across the street, threatening homes and
businesses on the block opposite. James Street
residents, including several elderly people, were
evacuated until later that day.
Around 50 fire-fighters from |
Moville, Derry,
Buncrana, Carndonagh, Letterkenny and Strabane,
bravely fought the fire from around 4am and through
its worst stages - between 5am and 7am. Two fire
engines with aerial platforms were also drafted in
to allow fire-fighters tackle the towering blaze
from a height.
Derry fire service district commander Willie Lynch,
who led the operation, said it was the worst fire in
Inishowen and arguably the worst he had encountered
in Donegal in his 37-year career. At one point,
around 4.45am, he had to remove his men from the
building for their own safety. |
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"It was one of the
worst fires because it happened in the middle of the
town and we had to fight to stop it spreading to
other buildings. It was also more dangerous because
the building was a restaurant and we had to send men
in to pull gas cylinders out of the fire for fear
they would explode. |
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There was also an oil
tank we were worried about," he explained.
"We were hampered at the early stages because of a
strong easterly wind. This drove the fire through
the building and our main concern was to save
adjoining properties as the wind drove the blaze up
towards the town centre.
"At that stage we were fighting the fire on three
fronts. If it had gone to a fourth front, across the
road, we would have been in great difficulty."
The fire crews ran low on water from the mains pipes
on James Street and then raced with portable pumps
to tap into a constant supply from Lough Foyle.
Fire-fighters then pumped the sea water onto the
burning building until nearly 10am.
The scene remained sealed off yesterday pending the
arrival of structural engineers.
The engineers were expected to assess the hazards of
the burnt-out building to pave the way for a Garda
forensic team to enter and examine the scene.
Buncrana Garda Superintendent Paul Glynn said it
appeared the fire started at the back of the
building and spread rapidly. "At this stage, we have
absolutely no indication of what happened to cause
the fire," said Supt Glynn. |
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