Concern after fire is started near complex

Concern after fire is started near complex

9 January 2013

VANDALS targeted a care facility for severely autistic adults in Downpatrick last week.

The Killough Road facility owned by the Mainstay DRP organisation was targeted during the early hours of last Thursday morning.

A paper bin was set alight and pushed towards the entrance gates to the facility, causing substantial damage to one of them. A member of the public spotted the blaze and alerted staff who contacted the emergency services.

Fire fighters brought the blaze under control and emergency repairs were carried out to replace wooden planks in one of the gates which were destroyed.

A senior official with the local charity said the fire could have had major repercussions for adults staying in the Mainstay bungalow.

Mr. Jim Mulholland, the organisation’s executive officer, described the incident as “extremely serious” and criticised those responsible for starting the fire.

“We had four very vulnerable people with no communication skills staying with us in the bungalow. They suffer from severe disabilities and if this fire had started closer to the building, who knows what would have happened,” he said.

“Thankfully the blaze was spotted by a member of the public who alerted staff and the fire was extinguished.”

Mr. Mulholland said the incident has “unsettled” Mainstay staff as they are charged with looking after the people who stay with them. The charity official also believes those responsible for starting the fire were “clearly intent” on causing damage and is thankful the incident was not more serious.

He continued: “We were concerned that the people responsible for the fire may have climbed the gates and made their way towards the bungalow. This could have had a major impact on those inside and left them extremely traumatised,” continued Mr. Mulholland.

“The people staying with us don’t speak and are severely autistic; they also have very high care needs. If they had seen the gates on fire it could have had a major impact on them.”

The Mainstay official said as a result of last week’s incident, the charity plans to ensure all bins at its various locations across Downpatrick are locked in a secure location to they can’t be targeted by vandals.

And Mr. Mulholland believes this is something that the public and business owners should also consider to deter similar attacks in the future.

He added: “Setting bins on fire close to property, whether it’s someone’s home or a facility like ours has major ramifications and could cost lives. I have no idea why someone would want to target a facility providing respite care for severely autistic people.”

The manager of the Killough Road facility, Peter Burns, said the damage to the gates was repaired within a few hours of the incident. He said he’s glad none of the adults in the bungalow saw the fire, “otherwise it could have been very traumatic for them.”s