Four gardai have been praised for their heroism after entering a family’s burning home and helping to extinguish a fire which started after a chip pan went ablaze.
The fire broke out at Barrack View, Sycamore Drive, in Bruff, Co Limerick, shortly after 10pm on Saturday.
The house is located adjacent to Bruff garda station and gardai were able to reach the property quickly.
First on the scene was Garda Noelle Fitzgerald, who was on duty viewing CCTV footage at the station when she heard “very distressed crying of a baby coming from a nearly house through an open window”, a garda spokesman explained.
“She rushed to the house where she met a man who told her that a chip pan had caught fire.”
Garda Fitzgerald alerted the fire brigade and contacted her colleagues, requesting they attend with fire extinguishers situated at the garda station, and made sure the family had existed the dwelling.
Garda Robert Young, David Hennessy and Noreen Moloney arrived on the scene moments later with fire extinguishers.
“All persons were out of house as Gardaí saw thick black smoke bellowing out of house and flames were visible from the kitchen area,” the spokesman said.
“Whilst Garda Fitzgerald and Moloney looked after the family, Garda Young and Hennessy entered the house and managed to extinguish the fire, and Garda Hennessy also managed to disconnect the electricity supply to the house to prevent further damage.”
Bruff Superintendent John Ryan, said that “due to the quick actions of all of the Gardaí involved, we surely prevented a very serious incident from happening.
“I am extremely proud of Garda Fitzgerald, Young, Hennessy and Moloney for assessing the situation and acting quickly whilst being responsible, and thankfully nobody was injured,” Supt Ryan added.
Three units attached to Kilmallock and Charleville fire stations attended the scene and continued to dampen the blaze for a further two hours, making sure the property was safe.
Paramedics also attended in an ambulance however no persons required medical treatment.
Superintendent Ryan said it was lucky the family escaped without injury and that there was “minor smoke damage (caused) to the house”.
