Arson probe as mum and son, 8, fight for life
‘Burning item thrown through letterbox’ in family fire horror
A FLAT fire which left a young mother and her son fighting for their lives was started deliberately, it emerged last night. Maggie Green and her three children were rescued by neighbours and fire fighters who pulled them to safety. But the mum in her 30s and her eight-year-old son Francie were left in a critical condition following the horror fire in West Dublin which broke out at around 11pm on Monday. Gardai are treating the cause of the blaze as “suspicious”. Officers believe something was set alight and put through the letterbox, which then engulfed the small flat. A source said the blaze appears to have started just inside the front door which would indicate something with an accelerant was thrown in. Ms Green is in an induced coma with burns to her body while Francie is in a critical but stable condition with burns to his upper body. Her other son John, 13, escaped injury while seven-year-old Savannah has burns to her hands. One local, who did not want to be named, said the family are well-liked in the area and everyone is praying for them. The woman told how neighbours helped the fire brigade drag them out of one of the windows at the home on Tyrone Place, Inchicore. She said: “Maggie is a lovely woman and a very devoted mother. “It’s understood the little boy and Maggie are in a critical condition. “Everyone is praying he pulls through along with his mam and sister and older brother.” Friends of Maggie took to Facebook yesterday to wish the mum and her kids a full recovery. One posted: “In my prayers. Hope you and your children pull through this. Very sad.” Local Sinn Fein councillor Daithi Doolan said his thoughts are with the family. He added he hopes Dublin City Council carry out a full investigation into the incident along with the gardai. Mr Doolan said: “The whole community here in Inchicore is in shock. I want to wish them all a fast recovery. It is important the city council carries out a full investigation as to how this started along with the gardai.” Officers carried out door-to-door enquiries yesterday and searched the area for any hints as to what may have caused the fire. Gardai could also be seen taking fingerprints at the scene and they will comb CCTV from the area in a bid to determine what happened. A spokesman said a full investigation into how the fire started is under way. He added: “A woman in her 30s was brought to St James’s Hospital and is described as being in a critical condition. “An eight and 13-year-old male were taken to Crumlin Children’s Hospital where the eight-year-old is described as being in a critical condition. “The seven-year-old girl was taken to Temple Street Hospital for treatment. “The scene has been preserved for a technical examination and the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.”
The whole community in Inchicore here has been left in shock CLLR DAITHI DOOLAN WEST DUBLIN YESTERDAY
IT’S absolutely sickening to think someone may have deliberately set fire to a flat where three young children and their mother were living. The blaze is being treated as suspicious by gardai but how could anyone carry out such a horrendous act and think nothing about the human life they were putting in grave danger? Maggie Green and her eight-year-old boy Francie are still seriously ill in hospital – we can only pray they pull through. The focus now will be their full recovery. Equally, every effort should go into finding the low-life scum responsible for this heinous act.