DETECTIVES IN Derry investigating a massive overnight fire at a used-tyre warehouse on the outskirts of the city believe the fire might have been started deliberately.
The warehouse at the Campsie industrial estate contained 50,000 used tyres.
The fire was reported at 10pm on Sunday. Firefighters from Derry, Belfast, Portadown and Ballymena fought for nine hours to control the fire and to stop it from spreading to adjoining commercial properties. Firefighters from Co Donegal were also called in.
The tyres were owned by a local businessman.
Last August another used-tyre warehouse used by the same businessman at Springtown industrial estate, also in Derry, was destroyed in an arson attack.
Eoin Doyle of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue said it could take until later today before the fire is eventually extinguished.
“It was one of the biggest fires seen in this area for many years and it was a very difficult blaze for us to bring under control.
“At one stage we had 17 fire appliances at the scene. The tyres were stacked about 20ft high,” Mr Doyle said.
“It was a huge fire and initially we concentrated on preventing it from spreading to other units in the same industrial estate.”