17/11/2006
City fires treated as 'suspicious'
Police investigating the circumstances surrounding two fires in Belfast City Centre yesterday evening, are treating them as suspicious.
Emergency services were alerted to the fires in the Corporation Square area of the city at around 7.30pm.
A nearby building had to be evacuated due to suspicions that one of the roofs contained asbestos.
No one was injured.
Lenny Entwhistle from the Fire and Rescue Service said: "Both fires started simultaneously and it would be very unusual to have an accidental fire start in two buildings at the same time, so we are following a definite line of inquiry of arson.”
It is understood that the fires were well developed by the time fire crews arrived, and it took around four appliances, up to five hours to bring the flames under control.
Police have said they have now begun an investigation into both fires.
(EF)
Emergency services were alerted to the fires in the Corporation Square area of the city at around 7.30pm.
A nearby building had to be evacuated due to suspicions that one of the roofs contained asbestos.
No one was injured.
Lenny Entwhistle from the Fire and Rescue Service said: "Both fires started simultaneously and it would be very unusual to have an accidental fire start in two buildings at the same time, so we are following a definite line of inquiry of arson.”
It is understood that the fires were well developed by the time fire crews arrived, and it took around four appliances, up to five hours to bring the flames under control.
Police have said they have now begun an investigation into both fires.
(EF)
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