A Cork fire officer has indicated that one of the five stores targeted in an arson attack in Cork city centre yesterday evening has experienced about €100,000 in damage to its stock.
A Garda investigation has been launched after TK Maxx, Lifestyle Sports, Superdry, Next and Boots outlets in the city had to be evacuated yesterday following arson attacks.
Some shops experienced minor fire damage while the impact was more serious in others.
The alarm was raised shortly after 5.15pm on Sunday when Cork City Fire Brigade was called to respond to an incident at a store on Patrick Street. They subsequently received four other calls from nearby premises.
Stealth sackings: why do employers fire staff for minor misdemeanours?
Michael Harding: I went to the cinema to see Small Things Like These. By the time I emerged I had concluded the film was crap
Look inside: 1950s bungalow transformed into modern five-bed home in Greystones for €1.15m
‘I’m in my early 30s and recently married - but I cannot imagine spending the rest of my life with her’
Second Officer with Cork City Fire Brigade, Victor Shine, told Cork’s Red FM that the damage in one store could be more than €100,000, because of smoke damage to stock.
Mr Shine told the Neil Prendeville Show that an incident of this type was a rare occurrence in Cork city. He praised staff at the impacted stores for their enormous professionalism during the incident.
“Multiple events like this are extremely rare. In fairness I must congratulate the staff for how they dealt with the situation extinguishing fire, keeping the situation under control and using evacuation protocol and protecting the members of the public in their store. Luckily, there was nobody injured in this.”
Meanwhile, a Garda inquiry into the incident of criminal damage is ongoing. Technical examinations have been conducted by the crime scenes unit.
The Garda Technical Bureau will determine what was used to start the fires. It is understood that each incident was quickly brought under control by the city fire brigade.
Crews from Anglesea Street and Ballyvolane were deployed to tackle the fires.
- See our new project Common Ground, Evolving Islands: Ireland & Britain
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our In The News podcast is now published daily – Find the latest episode here