Family loses prized items in house blaze

Family loses prized items in house blaze

1 August 2018

A FIRE has robbed a Downpatrick family of their home and many prized processions.

Patsy and Elizabeth McCartan are now living with relatives after a hedge fire last week spread to their Ballynoe Road property which has been home for over 40 years.

The couple were not in their detached house when the alarm was raised around 4pm last Thursday.

Mr McCartan praised local firefighters who worked for over two hours to put out the blaze.

“I would just like to say how brilliant the firefighters were. They did a fantastic job,” he said. “All of the house is smoke-damaged, but around 25% is severely damaged.

“Everything we put up in the roof space to keep good and preserve is all gone. Our Christmas decorations and trees, everything that we take down every year is now reduced to ashes.”

A field which the hedge ran along was also damaged by the fire and two hay bales were burned, while a wooden pole close to the damaged home supporting electricity lines had to be replaced later on Thursday.

Mr McCartan says that it is thought the fire started 250 yards away from his home.

“It started in the hedge and travelled along because of the strong winds I suspect. The fire caught onto a shed at the back of my house and from there went on to the roof,” he added.

“A passer-by first happened to notice the fire but as she was a stranger, she didn’t know the name of the road. Luckily, my nephew came along and was able to tell her the name and they then rang for the fire service.”

Mr McCartan’s nephew then rang him to tell him the bad news as he was driving back home from Newcastle, explaining he would not otherwise have known how the blaze started.

“It’s just one of those things that happen in life,” he continued. “You couldn’t write the for this. We will probably never know how exactly it happened.

“It could have been caused by carelessness of someone perhaps who was smoking and tossed a cigarette end out through the car window. Or perhaps a piece of glass in the ditch got ignited by the sun.”

The McCartans are covered for the damage by insurance but believe it could up to three months or more before they can move back into the home they have lived in for over 40 years.

“Above the main bedroom was completely gutted. I lost the roof on my extension but I understand that the firemen had to get into the roof space in order to put the fire out,” added Mr McCartan.

“It could have been a lot worse. We could have been dead but we are living and well. Thankfully money can fix this as it’s only material things that’s gone.”