Firefighters had to use a hydraulic platform to rescue a man from a burning apartment building in Limerick yesterday morning.
The fire broke out in one of the apartments in a Georgian building in the historic Pery Square area of the city shortly after 11 a.m.
Three units of Limerick City Fire Brigade and two ambulance crews attended the scene of the blaze.
Fire brigade personnel used the "cherry-picker", or hydraulic platform, to rescue the man.
He was evacuated to safety and treated at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation by ambulance personnel before being taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.
Three other people who were in the apartment block were also treated at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation and shock.
The area around the fire had been cordoned off yesterday as gardaí began an investigation into the cause.