Northern Ireland

Police probe 'deliberate' fire at south Belfast restaurant

By Digital Staff

Police are treating a fire at a south Belfast restaurant as arson.

The blaze, which was reported at 1.15am on Tuesday morning, took place at the Blaze and Glaze restaurant on University Road.

Fifty-five firefighters were on the scene at one stage after the alarm was first raised.

A PSNI spokesman said: “At this stage the fire is being treated as a deliberate ignition and our enquiries are continuing.

"I want to appeal to anyone who was in the University Road area of the town prior to, or around the time the fire was reported to jog their memory and think if they saw any suspicious activity, including anyone acting in a suspicious manner." 

Firefighters remained on the scene and brought the fire under control after it reignited at around 11am.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said: 

“On Tuesday 21 January 2020 at 01:12am, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service  received a call to attend a fire at a building on University Road Belfast.

"At the height of firefighting operations nine appliances, including an aerial appliance and a specialist command unit were in attendance. Fivty-five firefighters from fire stations across Belfast and further afield attended the incident.

“Firefighters wore breathing apparatuses and used hose reel jets to tackle the fire. They remained on the scene and at approximately 11:07am the fire reignited.”

Police have asked that anyone with information contact them on non-emergency number 101.