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Overnight blaze destroys furniture store at Eastpoint
"MIND-NUMBING" is how city businessman Tony Cowell described the scene as he watched his premises go up in flames at the Eastpoint Retail Park on the Ballysimon Road overnight.
But Mr Cowell is determined to fulfil customer orders in the run-up to Christmas and expects to find work for the three people employed at Eastpoint Discount Furniture and Flooring.
Members of the Limerick Fire Service, who battled the inferno for five hours, were this morning praised for saving the neighbouring Wicke's DIY, which opened in October 2008 and employs around 40 people.
Mr Cowell's alarm company called him before 2am to inform him the alarm had been activated but "by the time I got down there, it was already engulfed in flames".
"It's difficult to explain how I felt as I watched it. It is mind-numbing," said Mr Cowell, who only opened the business in February of this year.
"The building is completely destroyed. We have lost everything. It was a fully stocked showroom and we were in the Christmas rush," said Mr Cowell, adding the business was just beginning to "see a positive turn" after a challenging period for Irish retailers.
"For people who have orders with us, I want to tell them we will be able to fulfil customer orders," he said.
Thirteen appliances from the Fire Service in Limerick City and County and Clare attended the blaze for almost five hours overnight.
The alarm was raised just before 2am and James Kearns, station officer with the Limerick Fire Service, said the "fire was already well lit by the time personnel arrived at the scene".
Flames were travelling along the roof but fire fighters managed to prevent anything other than minor damage to Wicke's DIY next door.
A vacant unit on the other side of Discount Furniture was also saved through the quick actions of the Fire Service.
A spokesman at Roxboro Garda Station said this Monday that "nothing suspicious" had come to light at this stage but a technical examination was being carried out by Garda technical experts this morning.
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Weather for Limerick
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
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