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Bogside homes evacuated following arson attack gas leak

Fire fighters investigated a possible gas leak following an early morning arson attack in Derry.
Fire fighters investigated a possible gas leak following an early morning arson attack in Derry. Fire fighters investigated a possible gas leak following an early morning arson attack in Derry.

A number of homes in Derry’s Bogside were evacuated when a possible gas leak was detected following an arson attack.

A man in his 40s was treated for burns at the scene when he tried to move a car which had been set on fire at Dove Gardens early yesterday morning. Firefighters were called to the scene after the car fire spread to a house around 5am.

A short time later, fire fighters detected a possible gas leak in the area. A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said the possible leak was detected in a house at Dove Gardens. He said engineers were called in to work with fire fighters to detect the leak and to deal with it.

Sinn Féin councillor, Kevin Campbell said the incident could have been much more serious if the fire had spread to other houses, all of which had gas supplies.

“I would like to commend the quick actions of the car owner in his efforts to stop the fire from spreading further despite the dangers he faced. It must have been a very frightening experience,” Mr Campbell said.

A police spokesman said officers also attended the scene. He said five homes were evacuated at Dove Gardens as a safety precaution.