Fire Causes Extensive Damage to Ballinamallard FC Clubhouse
A fire at Ballinamallard FC on Saturday afternoon resulted in significant damage to the football club's facilities, leading to an extended closure of the clubhouse. The blaze destroyed a store room, kitchen, and the main club room.
Emergency Response and Fire Control
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service was alerted just before 2pm and dispatched four appliances to the scene. No injuries were reported, and the fire was brought under control in under two hours.
Club Leadership and Incident Details
Tom Elliott, former Ulster Unionist Party leader and chairperson of Ballinamallard FC in County Fermanagh, provided details about the incident. He explained that while the club was preparing to open at 3pm on Saturday, a smell of smoke was detected.
"It all happened very quickly,"
Elliott expressed his belief that the fire was accidental in nature.
"The fire service were very good. They got it under control and they put it out in a few hours,"
Impact and Future Plans
The damage means that the club's facilities will be out of use for a considerable period.
"We will have to speak to our insurance company and work out what it will take to get it reopened. It will be quite a while,"
Ballinamallard FC is now focused on assessing the damage and planning the necessary steps for restoration and reopening.
