GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING a suspected arson attack at two car dealerships have found cans of petrol at the site they believe was used to start the blaze that destroyed 26 vehicles. The damage is estimated at more than €300,000.
The vehicles were being stored in adjacent yards owned by the Southside Automotive and Dublin Wheels second-hand car sales outlets in Ballymount, west Dublin, when the fire broke out at about 11.30pm on Saturday.
Gardaí believe those responsible poured petrol over the vehicles before setting them alight. The fire is believed to have started in the Southside Automotive yard before spreading to vehicles in Dublin Wheels.
Both dealerships are situated on Lower Ballymount Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 12.
Some 22 cars were destroyed in the Southside Automotive premises before the flames spread to the Dublin Wheels yard, destroying a further four vehicles there.
The fire was brought under control before a large number of other cars parked at both premises were destroyed.
Billy Palmer, owner of Southside Automotives, said he was “completely puzzled” at the attack. He was out socialising after watching Saturday evening’s rugby match when he got a phone call informing him his cars were on fire.
“We’re here six years and we’ve never had any bother. I haven’t had any irate customers, nothing like that, so we just don’t know why this is after happening to us.”
Mr Palmer, a well-known trader specialising in used cars, said he believed a number of models had been destroyed in the attack include Lexus, Subaru and Honda vehicles. He confirmed that a smaller number of cars had been damaged at Dublin Wheels.
“There was another garage less than half a mile away that was attacked in the same way about a week ago where eight or 10 cars were destroyed. I don’t know if it could be linked to that but at the moment I have absolutely no idea why this would happen to us.”
Mr Palmer said because his sales garage is located in an industrial estate he was hopeful the large volume of CCTV footage recorded from cameras around the area will be able to assist the Garda investigation.
The scene of the blaze remained sealed off yesterday.