Bonfire embers 'most likely' cause of devastating Greenisland fire which completely destroyed two homes
A fire which completely destroyed two neighbouring homes and damaged others in Co Antrim on Saturday night is most likely to have been caused by embers from a nearby Eleventh Night bonfire, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has confirmed.
The first call regarding the blaze at Knockleigh Walk in Greenisland, near Carrickfergus, was received by NIFRS around 12.15am on Sunday morning.
The fire involved a number of houses in a row of properties, along with several oil tanks and a shed.
At the height of the incident, NIFRS had 45 firefighting personnel at the scene, six pumping appliances, a Command Support Unit and an aerial ladder.
Five firefighting jets were in use alongside an aerial water tower.
One of the householders whose property was destroyed spoke of how “surreal” it was for him and his wife to watch their home of 56 years burn down.
Davy Haighton said they had lost everything.
"Everything is gone - clothes, money, documents, all our memories", he told the BBC.
He said he woke his wife when he realised what danger they were in. The couple then watched as their home burned down from a nearby field.
"The most devastating thing, as far as I'm concerned, is the loss of our family history," he said.
"Fifty-four years of our life, all those memories and history, gone."
But he added: “I'm glad, thank the Lord, people got out and nobody is injured."
A spokesperson for NIFRS said: “Some residents had to be evacuated from their properties, and our thoughts are with those who have been affected.
"NIFRS would like to thank local partner agencies and the community for their help in support of the displaced families.
"Further to completing our fire investigation today the most probable cause is thought to be accidental ignition due to embers from a nearby bonfire.”
Alliance East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson has expressed his deepest sympathies to the families affected by the blaze.
"I'd like to express my thanks to the wonderful neighbours who opened their homes to the families whose homes were destroyed last night,” he said.
"The whole Greenisland community really rallied around the victims of the fire. I'd also like to thank the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and all other agencies involved in getting the situation under control.
"Thankfully, no one was hurt or injured; however, this has been an extremely distressing situation for the entire community in Greenisland, in which I live, and what we need now is a full and thorough investigation into exactly what caused this fire."
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said operational activity was “consistently high” across Saturday night with an increase in demand for emergency response.
The service received 303 emergency calls between the hours of 6pm on July 11 and 2am on July 12.
These calls resulted in firefighters attending 151 operational incidents, 54 of which were bonfire-related.