An inquest into the deaths of ten people who died in a fire at a halting site in Dublin has heard a chip pan left on a cooker was the cause of the blaze.
Tom McHugh, Director of Housing and Community at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council told the inquest the halting site at Glenamuck in Carrickmines was set up in 2008 as a temporary emergency site. He said it was never intended to be a permanent site and wasn’t subject to the same fire safety regulations.
Thomas Connors, his wife Sylvia and their three children, including 6mth old baby Mary were among the victims of the Carrickmines fire in Oct 2015. Willie Lynch, his pregnant partner Tara Gilbert, their daughters Jodie and Kelsey and Willie’s older brother Jimmy also lost their lives in the blaze.
Detective Inspector Martin Creighton said the scene was preserved for 26 days and a chip pan left on a hot plate on an electric cooker was found to be the cause of the fire. The inquest also heard there was only one metre between the caravans. The guidelines provided for an optimal distance of six metres.
