An arson attack on an unoccupied house on the Glen Road could have had tragic consequences, if it had occurred at the same time as a fire on the Bogside, a senior firefighter has warned.

By Melissa Towell

melissa@derrynews.net

Two people were hauled to safety from a blaze in the Bogside. It is believed that the fire started in the kitchen of the Colmcille Court home at around 6am.

Three hours earlier arsonists torched a property in the Glen Road area of the city. Luckily the occupants – a couple and their young baby - were not at home.

Paul Coyle, Station Commander at Northland Road Fire Station, claimed that if the two fires had happened at the same time, overstretched firefighters could have been dealing with fatalities. 

 “If the fire service had been tied up dealing with the deliberate fire on the unoccupied house when the call came in from the Bogside, that could have lead to a delayed response, in an incident where two people needed rescued,” Commander Coyle said.

“This highlights the serious implications the setting of deliberate fires can have on the city. Apart from the house itself it can also impact on the neighbouring houses and the city as a whole.”

He appealed to arsonists to consider the potential consequences of their actions.

Glen Arson

In the arson attack on the Glen Road a young mother, partner and nine-week-old baby were lucky to escape with their lives.

The couple and their son were not in the property when it was set alight and are traumatised by thoughts of what could have happened.

Julie McCartney told the Derry News she was alerted by text message that her partner’s house had been targeted shortly after 2am.

“I was absolutely gutted and shocked when I heard the news. I kept thinking what if my wee boy had been in the house at the time.

“We would all have been lying in a mortuary this morning.”

She added that those who carried out the attack had broken in through the bathroom and gone into the living room before setting it on fire.

“The living room is just below the bedroom. None of the upstairs windows would be big enough to climb out. We wouldn’t have stood a chance if we were there.”

This is the second time her partner Paul Farren’s house has been targeted over the last couple of weeks.

“We have only just moved in around here recently and our back window was broke last week.

“We have kept our head down and done nothing on nobody so I can’t think why anyone would have done this.”