Luas Red Line services are likely to remain suspended for the “foreseeable future” after a major fire broke out yesterday near the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
Locals witnessed flames shooting up from underneath the George’s Dock Bridge at about 6.10pm yesterday evening. Four fire engines, a foam tender and a water tanker attended the fire at George’s Dock.
The fire was brought under control at about 10.30pm. Building inspections commenced at midnight after an appeal was put out for keyholders to attend the scene.
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Firefighting operations continued overnight. The incident was then further scaled back and one fire engine remained at the scene. It left at 10.30am on Wednesday.
Fire inspectors, gardaí and engineers have been assessing the damage underneath the bridge, which is an important crossing point in the Dublin Docklands area.
One local, who asked not to be named, said they were alerted to the fire by a smell like burning tyres. “I came out and the whole bridge was in flames,” he said.
He added that other residents had seen blue flames shooting up from the ground, indicating a gas leak.
In a statement, Gas Networks Ireland said: “At 18:29 we responded immediately to a request for assistance from the fire services to an incident in the George’s Dock area of Dublin.
“Our staff arrived on site at 19:06. The crew worked closely with the emergency services to safely isolate the gas flow. An investigation into the cause of the incident is under way.”
Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr Ray McAdam said the situation “could have been much worse” given that the incident occurred at a busy time and flames were quickly seen enveloping the bridge.
“But it looks to me that it was quite a serious fire and [resolving] it was down to the quality and expertise of our fire brigade personnel, and thankfully there was no member of the [Dublin Fire Brigade] injured either.
“We will have the results of the assessment as soon as possible so we can provide certainty to Luas users,” he said. “We have to understand the full consequences of the damage done to the infrastructure and we will try and ensure that things return to normal as quickly as possible. We need to make sure it is all safe first.”
A coffee shop adjacent to the bridge was closed early on Wednesday morning, as was the Harbour Bar across the road from it. Electricity was restored to them on Wednesday morning. Other businesses in the area were working normally.
It is estimated temperatures at the site of the fire reached 1,000 degrees during it, and that the steel girders holding up the bridge can withstand temperatures of up to 600 degrees.
Cllr McAdam said it could take as long as 48 hours to ascertain the damage to the bridge, but it will not reopen as either a pedestrian or Luas crossing until it is safe to do so.
Luas Red Line services between Connolly Station and the Point have been suspended, with Luas saying that it envisages “this change may last a period of time as we wait for information in relation to the fire damage in the area and clearance in relation to the bridge [and] Luas infrastructure, including overhead power lines.
“We advise all customers to listen to traffic and travel updates and to follow Luas web, Luas X.”
