Suspected Arson Attacks Probed

While a man has been arrested after a fire at a building under construction in Belfast in the early hours of this morning, and a house fire in Co Down is being probed, the fire service has been separately warning of the dangers of fumes and toxic by-products of burning rubber products - such as tyres commonly incinerated on 11th July, pre-12th Orange celebrations.

Emergency services were called out at 4.45am to the blaze, which damaged several floors of the building in Dunbar Street.

However, police have said it could have been much worse if fire crews had not responded so quickly.

Meanwhile, a house fire in Co Down overnight is also being treated as suspicious.

The blaze, in rural Clough, has led to a woman being treated in hospital for smoke inhalation.

The news of today's fires came the day after a demonstration to show the dangers of burning tyres on bonfires was carried out at a fire station in Co Antrim.

Smoke from the tyre - which was burned under controlled conditions - was analysed and the results shown to people involved in organising 11th Night bonfires in the Ballymena area.

Ballymena District Commander Gary Davison said burning tyres gave off a cocktail of dangerous gases and some of the material could even be absorbed into the ground.

He said: "We carried out this exercise to show what can happen when a tyre is burned - that gases are given off and the different particles contained in the smoke.

"First of all we have styrene which is a carcinogen and we've got butadiene which is also a carcinogen.

"Then there's benzine, lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, hydrogen sulphide and zinc - and that's just some of the hazardous materials."

Mr Davison said people were unaware there was legislation regarding the disposal of tyres.

"There's a legal duty of care in disposing of tyres - and some people are still not disposing of them properly

"Maybe some youngsters don't realise this, but they shouldn't be taking tyres for burning."

(BMcC)