Derry bar badly damaged by post-Christmas blaze

Major damage was caused to a popular Derry city centre bar when a fire broke out on December 29.

Emergency services s were called to the scene at the Dungloe Bar on Waterloo Street at around 6am and at one stage seven fire engines and 26 firefighters from Northland and Crescent Link fire stations in Derry and from Strabane fire station were in attendance.

A spokesman said: “Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels and one jet to extinguish the fire. The incident was dealt with by 9.58am and the cause of the fire is believed to be accidental.”

Assistant group commander Kevin McLaughlin said the blaze was discovered by cleaning staff when they turned up for work yesterday morning. Mr McLaughlin said the fire started in the ground floor kitchen. He told BBC Radio Foyle most of the damage was to the rear of the building.

“It started on the ground floor but penetrated up to the first and second floor. There is quite a bit of damage but, given the age of the building and the levels of compartmentation you would find in older buildings, I think our crews did well to minimise the damage to the area,” Mr McLaughlin said.