No injuries after fire causes significant damage to Donegal business

Chris McNulty

Dozens of firefighters battled a devastating blaze at a large Donegal business on Thursday night.

The fire broke out at the Cherrymore Kitchens manufacturing facility at Lurganboy on the outskirts of Donegal Town.

No personnel were on site at the time of the fire, the company, which is due to celebrate its 30th anniversary in business this year, has confirmed.

Some 58 firefighters from the Donegal Town, Killybegs, Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Stranorlar and Letterkenny units of the Donegal Fire Service battled the flames, having responded to a 999 call at 10.45 pm.

A water tanker was also drafted in to aid in the operation.

A witness reported seeing flames emerge from the roof of a warehouse at the premises.

“Given the nature of the business, making kitchens, there were a lot of wood materials such as plywood, timber and chipboard,”

Donegal County Council’s director of emergency services, Garry Martin, said.  “Thankfully, we received no reports of injuries.”

The main building, which includes offices and showrooms, was saved, but considerable smoke damage was caused.

“Regrettably, an overnight fire occurred at our headquarters,” Cherrymore Kitchens said in a statement.

“As a result, our Donegal Town premises will remain closed while we assess the extent of the damage.

“Most importantly, we want to reassure everyone that no personnel were on-site at the time, and everyone is safe.”

The company hailed the efforts of the emergency services and added: “We also want to voice our immense gratitude to our neighbour Shane and all the team at Donegal Waste for their incredible support during this incident.

“Thank you to our wider community for your ongoing patience as we work through this. We will keep you updated on our progress.”

Several units from Donegal Fire Service are still at the scene as they assess the wreckage.

The company operates up to 70 full-time staff and are known throughout the country as a large manufacturer and supplier of kitchens.

The nearby Ballybofey and Stranorlar Chamber of Commerce said: “This is especially devastating as this is their 30th Anniversary trading and, giving employment to many families.

“It’s one of the most advanced and modern factories in the whole of Ireland and, beyond…we as a chamber will do our utmost to help in any way we can.”