Devastation after NI homes set alight by bonfire embers
Families in Greenisland, Northern Ireland, were left devastated after a Twelfth bonfire caused embers to ignite their homes. The fire destroyed two houses and damaged others, with residents narrowly escaping the blaze.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing safety concerns and property risks associated with traditional bonfire celebrations in Northern Ireland.
Families whose homes were destroyed when burning embers from a Twelfth bonfire set them alight last night have spoken of their devastation.
Two homes at Knockleigh Walk in Greenisland near Belfast were destroyed and two others in the terraced row were badly damaged.
David Haighton has lived in the house for more than 50 years.
The 87-year-old said thousands of embers from the fire started landing around his home shortly after the Twelfth bonfire was lit at midnight.
He said things were made worse by a stiff breeze.
"The amount of cinders, bright burning cinders, tens of thousands of them coming flying over the house, right over the roofs and into the back."
The blaze intensified as several oil tanks at the rear of the houses caught fire.
He alerted his neighbour and ran to wake his elderly wife who was in bed at the time.
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