In the region of 12 businesses have been forced to temporarily close their doors after the blaze engulfed a three storey building along the midlands town’s Grafton Court shopping thoroughfare shortly before 1:30am.
Local fire crews raced to the scene and managed to prevent the fire from spreading despite part of the building’s roof caving in due to the sheer ferocity of the fire.
Gardaí cordoned off the scene and closed an approach road along the Grafton Court area following the blaze.
Crime scene investigation officers carried out a thorough forensic examination of the scene on Sunday morning in a bid to establish its cause.
The results of those inquiries are expected to shape the course of any criminal element that may be linked to the resulting investigation.
The Irish Independent understands the main focus of investigating officers is on the outer curtilage of a ground floor restaurant that ironically opened its doors just hours before the fire broke out.
Longford business owner Pauline Coady Belton at the scene of Sunday morning’s fire.
Haidi Zhou, of Oyama Sushi Japanese Restaurant, revealed how in the lead up to the business’ opening, the premises had been the target of suspected vandalism.
“(On) Tuesday, spray paint was put on (the) windows,” she said, while gazing across at the cordoned off building. “Who would do it? I don’t know.”
The incident was reported to gardaí and is the subject of a separate garda probe as detectives examine whether its immediacy to Sunday’s fire could provide a possible sinister link to the blaze.
“Gardaí have received report of an incident of criminal damage at a business premises in Grafton Court, Longford on the 23rd July 2024,” said a garda spokesperson.
“Investigations are ongoing.”
The outer curtilage of the a newly opened restaurant in Longford town is believed to be the main focus of investigators.
Local authority engineers and insurance officials are expected to undertake their own inspection of the scene today (Monday) with the entrance into and out of the adjoining shopping centre expected to remain closed until at least tomorrow.
It’s believed the front of the building, which bore the brunt of the blaze, will have to be knocked though much of its remaining sections can be saved.
Its damaging economic after-effects has caused up to a dozen other local businesses and retailers to close their doors for the time-being and forced several more affected employees to sit at home.
Local hairdresser and owner of Grafter’s Hair Company, Pauline Coady Belton, spoke of her dismay at the potentially damaging ramifications the fire has inflicted on both her own business and those located nearby.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – July 29th
“I received a phonecall at 1:35am from one of my colleagues and she had heard about a fire. I checked my PhoneWatch app and there was nothing on it and I got another call five minutes later,” she said, revealing how she may be forced to relocate her salon to an alternative premises in the interim.
“We literally came down in our pyjamas and we were here until about 4am.
“It was just a devastating scene and all our neighbouring businesses arrived. Everyone was just in a state of shock.
“My house has been full since Sunday morning with people calling to make sure I am ok and I am. Thankfully there is nobody hurt, but that doesn’t make it any less for your team who are depending on their wages and who have mortgages and all that type of thing. It’s really a waiting game for us at the moment.”
Local Fianna Fáil TD Joe Flaherty conceded the fallout from Sunday morning’s fire had dealt a “big blow” to the local economy.
In expressing his solidarity with the building’s owner, Mr Flaherty said the focus was now very much on ensuring disaffected businesses and their employees were back at work as swiftly as possible.
Extensive smoke damage was caused to the front of the three storey building where part of its roof caved in.
“We have to minimise that (economic fallout), but certainly for Monday the access road from main street into the shopping centre will be closed.
“Council engineers and technical staff will be in to assess the building and as soon as that building is deemed safe, they will re-open that road.
“My thoughts in particular are with up to 12 business owners and also the National Learning Network that occupy the first and second floor on part of the building where there is significant smoke damage,” he said.
“They won’t be able to use to use that end of the building for the foreseeable future which is a bad blow for them. There are in the region of 50 service users and in the region of 10 to 15 staff that are going to have to try and source alternative accommodation.”
