WATCH: Councillor speaks of 'massive effort' to get neighbour out when fire engulfed house in Offaly

A LOCAL public representative has spoken of how a neighbour escaped the blaze which engulfed a house in Edenderry in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Cllr Fergus McDonnell was commenting after a body was found in a residence at Castleview Park, Edenderry following the blaze.

It was the second fire at the same house in four months. On December 6 last four-year-old Tadgh Farrell and his grandaunt Mary Holt (60) died as a result of a fire bomb attack on the end of terrace home.

Speaking about the latest tragedy Cllr McDonnell said: “Seemingly a fire broke out in the house at around 4am. The neighbours were alerted by their smoke alarms and fire alarms going off and there was a massive effort because the next door neighbour has a disability and there was huge panic to get her out.”

The Independent Ireland member added: “There's a certain opinion out there that believe it was deliberate. That has to be determined and I would await the authorities, the gardai and the fire service in making that determination.

“It was an intense fire as is evidenced by the damage that is visible and actually to the adjoining house there's considerable damage as well especially to the rear. But luckily there is no further loss of life. There was the potential there along that terrace of houses was to actually have additional loss of life.”

A relation of the Holt family had been living in the house following the arson attack in December.

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