Gardai have ruled out foul play after a house fire in Sligo town yesterday morning in which two women and a man died.
The three who died were Ms Annette O'Brien (44), her partner Mr Eugene Coyle (43), and Ms Kathleen Divers (36), at the house on St Brigid's Place close to the town centre. The three were from Sligo.
Supt John Fitzgerald said that taking into account the results of door-to-door inquiries in the area, a forensic examination of the scene and post-mortem examinations of the bodies, they could conclude the fire was a tragic accident. "This is a terrible tragedy for these people and their families and for the whole town," he said. Neighbours described how the terrace house was engulfed in flames within minutes, trapping the victims, who were asleep upstairs. Three men who were downstairs managed to escape with only minor injuries.
The fire started at around 2.30 a.m. A large open fire was burning in the living-room downstairs where the men were sleeping and it is believed bedding may have caught fire.
Gardai examined the house yesterday afternoon and the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, carried out post-mortem examinations at Sligo General Hospital.
The fire brigade arrived six minutes after getting the emergency call. Chief fire officer Mr Pat Forkan said his men fought through the fire to get to those upstairs. "Even though there was quite considerable flaming, the team worked their way up the stairs through the flames." Two bodies were recovered in one bedroom and the third was found in an adjoining bedroom. Mr Forkan said the fire was brought under control within 10 minutes.
"I have been chief fire officer for 20 years and it is the worst tragedy I have seen."
The three men who were downstairs, one a brother of Ms O`Brien, escaped through the back of the house and were taken to Sligo General Hospital. Two were treated for smoke inhalation and the third man was released after receiving treatment for minor injuries. Neighbours described how they had tried to get into the house before the fire brigade arrived.
"My husband and son went around the back to see if they could get in but there was nothing they could do," said one woman who did not want to be named.
"We were in bed when we heard the noise, and we looked out and saw the fire. It was only a small fire at that stage but the windows had broken and by the time we got our clothes on and came down, the whole thing was a mass of flames."