Three in critical condition following Belfast house fire

Man, woman and child hospitalised after being rescued from blaze in Ardoyne

A man, woman and child are in critical condition in hospital after being rescued from a house fire in Belfast.

They were found unconscious in the upstairs bedroom of a property at Jamaica Street in the Ardoyne area of the city.

The blaze started in the ground floor of the house just before midnight. No smoke alarms were fitted.

William Johnston, of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), said the dwelling was well alight when crews arrived at the scene.

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The station commander said: “The alarm had been raised by neighbours and there were quite a few people gathered around assisting fire crews and alerting them that there were people inside.

“Some people had tried to gain access but were beaten back by the intensity of the smoke and heat.”

Fire crews found the three people in an upstairs bedroom at the front of the house.

Mr Johnston said: "All three casualties were unresponsive, they were unconscious and were treated by fire service personnel and paramedics before being taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH)."

An RVH spokesman confirmed all three patients were in a critical condition.

Substantial damage has been caused to the ground floor of the property, particularly the kitchen area.

However, the flames were prevented from spreading to the adjoining house, Mr Johnston said.

At the peak of the incident, 20 firefighters in four appliances were involved. An investigation into the cause of the fire has begun.

PA