£1m Damage After Fire at County Armagh Hardware Business

A fire at a hardware business in County Armagh caused around £1 million in damage. Over 50 firefighters responded, and the business faces months of recovery while maintaining service contracts.

Fire Causes Extensive Damage at County Armagh Business

A fire at a hardware business located on Ballyards Road in Milford, County Armagh, has resulted in approximately £1 million worth of damage, according to one of the company's managers.

Police are currently investigating the incident. The fire is now under control, with 25 firefighters remaining on site to manage the situation.

Smoke is in the air beside a building. A fire engine is parked nearby. A car is parked in the foreground.

Manager Describes Impact of Blaze

Eamonn Morgan, contracts manager at Mamo Building Services, expressed the severity of the damage, stating the company is "waking up to a bleak situation."

"It probably looks to be over a million pounds of damage here, between stock, equipment, vehicles and damage to the premises itself."

He also noted the impact on neighboring properties, adding:

"One of the guys who lives beside us here has a store and there's a few vintage tractors that have been devastated as well."

Firefighting Efforts and Community Advisory

During the peak of the fire, over 50 firefighters responded from multiple stations including Armagh, Keady, Portadown, Banbridge, Dungannon, Newtownhamilton, and Lisburn.

A red, yellow and black fire engine is parked beside a wood fence. Trees are in the background. — Over 50 firefighters attended during the height of the blaze

Local residents have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed as a precaution. Members of the public are also being urged to avoid the area to ensure safety and allow emergency services to operate effectively.

Business Operations and Future Outlook

Mamo Building Services holds a contract with the Housing Executive and employs approximately 150 people. Morgan highlighted the challenges ahead:

"It will probably take months to sort out in terms of what we can get back on track with and the service that we can deliver."

He emphasized the importance of maintaining service commitments:

"Our contract with the Housing Executive is 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days, so we have to be back at it on Monday morning as best we can and try to provide the service that we're contracted to do."

Emergency Response Details

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) received the emergency call at approximately 03:45 GMT on Saturday, initiating the response to the blaze.