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Stores damaged in Belfast retail park blaze Investigation launched into Belfast retail park blaze
(about 2 hours later)
Three stores have been severely damaged in a blaze which started at about 0400 GMT at Boucher Retail Park in Belfast.Three stores have been severely damaged in a blaze which started at about 0400 GMT at Boucher Retail Park in Belfast.
Seventeen appliances and 85 firefighters struggled for several hours to bring the fire at Boucher Crescent under control.Seventeen appliances and 85 firefighters struggled for several hours to bring the fire at Boucher Crescent under control.
The shops most severely affected are Poundstretcher, Birthdays and JD Sports, while several other were affected by smoke and water. Poundstretcher, Birthdays and JD Sports were worst hit while other nine stores were affected by smoke and water.
It is not yet known if the fire was started deliberately. A Fire Service investigation team is working with police to establish the cause of the fire.
Assistant Chief Officer Owen Doyle said: "We have three of the units at Boucher Crescent severely damaged by the fire and a further nine shop units that have been affected by smoke and water damage. Assistant Chief Officer Eoin Doyle, however, said it could be several days before it was known how the fire started.
"At this point, we have the fire surrounded and we are attempting to prevent it from spreading along the roof. "The fire appears to have started at Poundstretcher. It also spread to the adjacent properties on either side."
"The fire appears to have started at Poundstretcher and as yet we are unable to establish how that fire started. He said officers were hampered when part of the gutted Poundstretcher building collapsed.
"It has also spread to the adjacent properties on either side." Poundstretcher has 27 stores throughout Northern Ireland.
There are 20 to 30 full-time and seasonal staff who work in Poundstretchers. Company secretary Martin Collinson said 17 or 18 staff worked in the Boucher Crescent branch.
BBC reporter Conor McCauley said it was understood attempts would be made to re-locate them at the chain's other premises. "Northern Ireland is a hughly important market for us," he said.
As well as the three stores badly damaged in the fire, nine others have been badly affected. "It's one area of the UK where we are over-represented to some extent.
The cause of the blaze is being investigated but it could be several days before it is known how it started. "Because we have a number of other stores in relatively close proximately, we will seek opportunities to re-deploy people where that's possible."