Rock attack on fire service

Members of Clare fire brigade came under attack with rocks in the course of their duties over the weekend, having been called to deal with a bonfire on Hallowe’en night in Ballyalla, near Ennis.
The unit of Ennis fire brigade attended a location beyond the lake in Ballyalla, where a large group of up to 100 teenagers were gathered, responding to a report of a bonfire at this location.
The Clare Champion has learned that while at the scene there were rocks thrown at them by youths in the grouping and as a result, the fire officers had to call the gardaí.
Gardaí from Ennis Garda Station were dispatched and when they arrived on the scene, the group dispersed and the fire officers were able to carry out their work.
Gardaí and the fire service said the majority of those who were at this location were not to blame for the rock throwing. No one was injured in the incident and no arrests were made but it was accepted the fire was big enough that it needed to be dealt with.
Meanwhile, the fire service were called out to a suspicious fire at a house in Waterpark View, Ennis, on Sunday night, where they needed to gain entry using breathing apparatus to fight the fire.
A unit of the fire brigade arrived at the location at 9.23pm and it took half an hour to bring the fire under control. There was no one in the house at the time and gardaí are investigating the circumstances of the fire. Anyone with information is asked to contact 065 6848100.
In addition to these incidents, the fire service was called out to deal with a further six reports of bonfires across County Clare on Hallowe’en night. The fire service attended Shallee Drive in Ennis, where they dealt with a routine situation, while the Shannon unit were called to a further bonfire on the green opposite the library in Newmarket-on-Fergus but by the time they arrived the fire had been brought under control.
A unit of the fire service responded to a call-out to a bonfire at Clarecastle, across from Roche and noted this did not require attention.
A bonfire at Kilcornan in Ennistymon took 20 minutes to deal with but was a straightforward situation with no threat to property or life.
The Shannon unit was called out to another incident in Newmarket-on-Fergus, which the fire service believed to have been a bogus call.
They also attended a bonfire at Ashline on the Kilrush Road, which was another routine situation.
Meanwhile, one man suffered smoke inhalation following a kitchen fire in a house at Fergus Drive in Shannon in the early hours of Tuesday morning. A unit of the Shannon fire service attended the scene and it was brought under control in less than 50 minutes.