A building containing a Chinese restaurant and offices was gutted this evening after a major fire broke out on the main street in Ranelagh in south Dublin.
The blaze is believed to have started in the kitchen of Wong’s restaurant on Sandford Road at about 3.45pm before spreading up to the roof through a ventilation duct. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
It is understood there were people in the restaurant when the fire took hold. However, there were no reports of any injuries. The roof of the building caved in as the fire tore through it and flames could be seen on the street skyline.
Dublin Fire Brigade was alerted to the incident by someone on site with a mobile phone. An evacuation of the building was being carried out by restaurant staff.
Three senior officers co-ordinated a total of 11 units of the fire brigade – including two aerial appliances – as they battled for hours to stop the fire spreading to neighbouring buildings that include the popular pub, McSorleys.
Plumes of smoke rose high above the building as five pumps sprayed water through the shattered windows of the premises from the street.
Passersby stopped to watch as the flames and blackened interior of the building could be seen from outside.
The Dublin Incident Command Unit was in control of the operation until the blaze was brought under control and they were relieved from duty at 6.40pm this evening.
An ambulance was on stand-by and nearby buildings were evacuated as the fire was tackled. The road was closed to traffic and pedestrians were diverted away from the town’s main street.
Incident Commander Paul Elebert said the building would be destroyed by the time the fire was put out. “There is a lot of fire damage and there will be a lot of water damage by the time we are finished. The water services are here and we have a water tanker here ourselves so thankfully there were no problems with water supply. This was a major fire.”
The gas supply in the area was also initially switched off as a precaution.
