The site of the former Railway Hotel in Enniskillen was destroyed by fire in the early hours of the morning of Wednesday 11 September
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) responded to reports of the blaze at the derelict property at around 5am by sending over 40 firefighters and nine appliances from stations nearby, as well as an aerial appliance and a command support unit.
The premises had formerly been a 20-bed hotel that had operated for over 130 years before it closed in 2015. The property had then been for sale since 2018. Images from the scene show the first and second floors alight, with the roof suffering extensive damage.
Commenting on the blaze, a NIFRS spokesperson said: “A large fire at a derelict building in Forthill Street, Enniskillen, has been dealt with. The initial call was received at 4.58am this morning, Wednesday September 11 2024.
“At the height of the incident, approximately 43 firefighters attended the scene along with two appliances from Enniskillen fire station, and one appliance each from Irvinestown, Lisnaskea, Dromore, Strabane, Fintona, Castlederg and Omagh fire stations, along with an aerial appliance from Northland fire station and a command support unit from Strabane fire station.
“Due to the tireless efforts of our firefighters, the fire was brought under control and this prevented the fire from spreading to the adjacent properties.
“We would like to thank the public for their ongoing patience whilst we dealt with the incident. We worked with our partners to reduce disruption for members of the public as much as possible.
“The cause of the fire is believed to have been deliberate ignition. The incident was dealt with by 4.04pm and the scene was left with PSNI.”
Speaking at the scene, group commander Michael Curran confirmed that he believed the fire had been started deliberately, although investigations were still ongoing,
In a statement on Thursday morning, a PSNI spokesperson said: "Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fire at a property in Enniskillen on Wednesday 11 September.
"Shortly after 5am on Wednesday morning, police received a report of a fire at the now derelict Railway Hotel building on Forthill Street. Officers attended the scene together with colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, who extinguished the blaze.
“Forthill Street was closed to traffic whilst NIFRS officers brought the fire under control, however, the building has been completely destroyed as a result of the incident.
"Police are treating the incident as arson and detectives would ask anyone with any information or who saw or captured dash-cam or CCTV footage of any suspicious activity in the area, to call them".