A SPATE of 10 fires at properties in Inishowen, Co Donegal, in as many days has led to fears that an arsonist or group of arsonists are at work in the Buncrana area.
Gardaí have issued an appeal to owners of vacant properties to ensure they are well secured and have asked members of the public to immediately contact them if they witness any suspicious activity.
On Saturday morning a two-storey house on the main Buncrana to Derry road was gutted. The fire at the vacant property located between Burnfoot and Bridgend was discovered at about 5am, and the fire service from Derry attended the scene.
On Saturday afternoon attempts were made to burn the former dispensary building used by the Health Service Executive at the entrance to Inch Island, and an attempt was made to burn a house on the island.
On Friday night Buncrana fire service was called to a farmhouse at Magheranture on the outskirts of the town after gorse and hedging around the property was set alight.
Last week two vacant houses and a caravan were burnt in three incidents at townlands close to the town.
In the latter days of the previous week, St Oran’s primary school at Cockhill was damaged by fire, as was the former HSE building known as The Castle in Newtowncunningham. Close to the pier on Inch Island a barn was set alight in which a dog was killed and thousands of euro of farm machinery was destroyed.
Both gardaí and fire officers have expressed concerns that if the fire-setting continues there is a danger that someone will be killed.
Buncrana-based Supt Kevin English said gardaí were continuing investigations into the unusually large number of fires within this 10-mile radius of Buncrana and were keeping an open mind.
The fires are being set between 1pm and 4am.
“We believe this person or persons have to have been acting suspiciously around these vacant properties. If anyone see vehicles stopped they should try to get the registration and colour and contact gardaí quickly.
“There is also the real danger that they may target a house that looks to be unoccupied but there could actually be someone there.
“They are taking up the time of the fire service and gardaí when they could be called to another emergency. There is also the cost factor,” said Supt English.
Buncrana fire chief James McKenna described what has been happening as a serious problem.
“If this was happening in some big city you would be wondering what was going on but here it is happening in rural Ireland. It is unbelievable, and I have never seen the likes of it before.
“My real fear is that someone will be killed. I appreciate the gardaí are doing their utmost to catch these people and this will hopefully happen soon as old people, living alone, are terrified,” said Mr McKenna.
Local Sinn Féin TD Pádraig MacLochlainn appealed for anyone with any information on who is responsible for the fires to contact gardaí.
“These are senseless acts of wanton vandalism and the action of these idiots could result in loss of life. Somebody must known who is responsible for these fires, and I would appeal to them to contact gardaí with any information they have.”
Anyone with information on these incidents can contact Buncrana Garda station on 07493 20540.