Northern Ireland

Owners devastated by fire at Derry restaurant

The fire at Fitzroy's restaurant broke out early yesterday morning.
The fire at Fitzroy's restaurant broke out early yesterday morning. The fire at Fitzroy's restaurant broke out early yesterday morning.

The owners of a popular Derry city restaurant say they have been devastated by an early morning fire which has caused extensive damage to the premises.

Firefighters were called to Fitzroy’s Restaurant at Bridge Street shortly before 6am yesterday after the blaze broke out in the building. Roads adjacent to the restaurant were closed for a number of hours while the fire was dealt with.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said four appliances attended.

The spokesman said: “Firefighters were called to reports of a kitchen on fire at a commercial property this morning. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used one hose reel and one jet to extinguish the fire. The incident was dealt with by 9.24am and the cause of the fire is being treated as accidental at this time.”

In a Facebook post, a spokesman for Fitzroy’s said: “We are so devastated we have to write this post. Due to a small fire in Fitzroy’s we will be closed until further notice.”

The restaurant confirmed that anyone who had booked to dine at Fitzroy’s this week would have the booking honoured at its sister restaurant, Quayside.

SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood said the incident was “awful news” for what he described as a Derry institution.