RISING FROM THE ASHES
FAMILY HOME OF 33 YEARS DESTROYED IN MINUTES BY BEDROOM INFERNO
‘IT’S GONE. We were there about 33 years and raised eight children here. Now I’m going to build it back up.’
For Palace man Jim O’Rourke, 65, losing his house in a fire on Wednesday was not something he was going to dwell on for long. His family home for 33 years was completely destroyed in the blaze, which was sparked by an electric blanket on Wednesday morning.
Jim, his wife Maggie and his daughter Bridget fled the house. All of its contents were destroyed.
Speaking on Thursday, Jim said: ‘ I’m clearing her out now and I have started on it. I’ve made a roof for it. I’ve two fellas in working with timber and on the walls. It’s not good what happened but it’s not going to hold me down.’
Cllr John Fleming said the community was devastated to learn about what happened and will stand in support with the O’Rourke’s.
A FAMILY home for 33 years was completely destroyed in a blaze on Wednesday.
Standing in front of the charred remains of the family home at Clonleigh, Palace, just off the N30 Clonroche road, Jim O’Rourke says: ‘It’s gone. We were there about 33 years and raised eight children here. Now I’m going to build it back up.’
Jim and Maggie O’Rourke’s house was engulfed in flames after an electric blanket caught fire that morning.
Chief Fire Officer Paul L’Estrange said a large number of firemen attended the scene, adding that the house was completely gutted by the time they arrived at around noon.
Jim said: ‘ This was my uncle’s place. It was an old L-shaped bungalow and Maggie and I did it up from scratch. Money was scarce but I’m a jack of all trades and we worked together on it. We still work together as Maggie comes out on jobs with me.’
Jim, 65, said some of his children still stayed at the five-bedroom house and they are devastated to see the home where they grew up burned to a shell.
He said he was having a cup of tea in the kitchen when his daughter noticed a burning smell coming from down the hall.
‘I went down the hall and smoke was coming out from underneath the door. I opened the door and I’ve never seen flames like it. The fire came up through the blankets and spread.
‘ The foam in the mattresses sets it off. I ran to the kitchen and told Maggie and my daughter Bridget to go out into the yard. The dogs were the first ones out, they must have sensed the heat. Within seconds the whole house was up in flames.’
His daughter Bridget contacted the emergency services and four units of the fire brigade arrived from across the county, along with gardaí.
‘I barely got out with all the smoke. You couldn’t see where you were walking.’
The three family members looked on helplessly as the fire took hold of the house. No medical treatment was required.
Fire fighters fought the fire and remained at the O’Rourke house for six hours.
‘ There is no use worrying about it. We will have to build her up again. She is a complete wreck. The ceiling collapsed. The only thing is it could have happened during the night and that would have been a different story. Between mobile phones and electric blankets nothing is safe.’
Jim and Maggie have been staying with their daughter in New Ross. They had no insurance on the house, ‘country people don’t believe in it,’ he says.
‘I’m clearing her out now and I have started on it. I’ve made a roof for it. I’ve two fellas in working with timbre and on the walls. It’s not good what happened, but it’s not going to hold me down.’