Gardaí investigating a fatal fire in Lucan, Co Dublin, believe it was started accidentally and are not investigating it as arson or any form of criminal damage.
A number of sources said there appeared to be an electrical fire at the property early on Sunday morning. However, it was yet to be confirmed whether that was the source of the blaze or whether it was a secondary fire that occurred at the property.
The man who died, who was in his 40s, was from eastern Europe - believed to have been a Polish national - and living in Dublin. He was sharing the property in Lucan with two Indian men, who raised the alarm about the fire just before 6am.
Gardaí and four units of Dublin Fire Brigade responded and residents from other nearby properties were evacuated. It is understood those properties were cleared amid concerns the fire may spread, though those fears did not come to pass.
Ireland’s 11 billionaires saw their wealth grow by a third to €50bn in 2024
Pancreatic cancer: ‘I just can’t explain what it felt like hearing those words’
Remote working in Ireland: People ‘are being pushed back to the office against their will’
‘The phone would ring and it would be Mike Scott from the Waterboys or Bono from U2. Everyone wanted to talk to my father’
Significant road closures were put in place to facilitate the emergency response, with some bus routes diverted for a time.
Gardaí issued a warning about disinformation and misinformation in circulation on social media and via messaging apps in the immediate aftermath of the fire. There were claims the property was being used as accommodation for international protection applicants.
However, while the Garda investigation into the cause of the fatal fire was still under way on Monday, no evidence had been unearthed to suggest the blaze resulted from an arson attack.
Garda sources stressed that, as the investigation continued, other information may become available, but at this point it was not a suspected arson attack.
And though one of the adjacent properties evacuated early on Sunday is being used to accommodate foreign nationals, believed to be Ukrainians, gardaí said that fact was completely unrelated to the fire. They also stressed the man who died in the fire was not an international protection applicant.
The victim’s remains were taken from the scene on Sunday afternoon and were due to undergo a postmortem as part of the investigation into the blaze.
Dublin Fire Brigade said four fire engines from Tallaght, Blanchardstown and Dolphin’s Barn stations “responded to the address and firefighters in breathing apparatus immediately fought the fire”.
“Sadly, one person was discovered deceased by breathing apparatus teams. The fire was brought under control,” it added.
Dublin Fire Brigade also sought the assistance of ESB Networks, Gas Networks Ireland and gardaí before handing over the scene to gardaí just after 8.45am.
An Garda Síochána said it was aware “of commentary in circulation online in relation to this incident which contains misinformation, disinformation and fake news”. It urged members of the public to independently verify information before sharing it on social media or on messaging apps.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
