Fire crews continue to dampen hot spots following fire at commercial building on Cork's northside

Firefighting operations are continuing today at a commercial building on the northside of the city after a major fire broke out overnight.

Cork City Fire Brigade crews are continuing to dampen down hot spots and ensuring the area is safe following a fire at laundry company CWS-boco Ireland Ltd at Boland Industrial Estate on Fitz’s Boreen, just off Commons Road in Blackpool.

Cork City Fire Brigade received the call at 1.33am and a total of eight units responded to the fire which was “very advanced”.

Speaking to The Echo, third officer Gerard Ryan said: “At the height of it, we had eight units responding and there are still two units at the scene.

“It was a very advanced fire. All resources from the city fire service were fully tied up until 7.30am and then we started winding it back a little bit and changing crews from the oncoming shift. Firefighting operations continue as we speak.

“It’s a lot smaller now. It's 99% extinguished so we’re in the final pockets now.” 

No injuries have been reported so far and the fire has been brought under control, with Mr Ryan estimating that crews still on scene should be wound up within the next two hours.

“All the small pockets of fires would be under collapsed roofs so we have specialist demolition companies making the building safe and removing debris so we can get at the pockets of fire,” he said.

“We also have a specialist response company for chemicals helping us clean up all the chemicals and so for any chemicals that were on the surface, we’ve blocked off all the drains into the river and the watercourses and they are removing all excess chemicals.”