GARDA INVESTIGATIONS are continuing into the cause of a house fire that at one point had 23 fire personnel working to bring it under control.
It was later discovered that military memorabilia were in the house and some of the items, including grenades, led to an Army bomb disposal team being asked to ensure the scene was safe before the fire crews could complete their work.
The fire, in a large two-storey house near Castlebellingham in Co Louth, was spotted just after midnight on Saturday morning.
Crews from Dunleer, Dundalk and Ardee were required to deal with the fire.
“When the crews and tenders arrived they found that both people in the house had been able to leave it, although one had jumped from an upstairs window,” said a spokesman for Louth fire service.
It is understood the house is rented and the spokesman said that, “It was unclear if there were others in the building so crews wearing breathing apparatus had to conduct a number of searches while the fire continued.
“After more than an hour, a further crew was called from Ardee while a water tanker and hydraulic platform went to the scene from Dundalk.”
The crews began to leave the scene at about 4am as the fire was being brought under control but “a display of ammunition and military items including bullets and grenades was noticed at the house”, the spokesman said.
The Garda and fire service requested the services of the Defence Forces bomb disposal team who spent a number of hours at the scene before removing some items and declaring it safe for the fire crews and gardaí to return.
The scene remained sealed off over the weekend and Garda Supt Ray Brennan, from Ardee, said it would remain so “until the examinations by our scenes of crime experts have been completed”.
He appealed for anyone who may have passed the house between 10pm and midnight on Friday to contact gardaí in Ardee on 041-6853222.