Garda investigating Belturbet fire

One of Belturbet's most identifiable historic buildings was gutted in a blaze in the early hours of this morning. A fire broke out at the historic Erne Palais early in the evening, by the time the local fire station were informed of the incident, it had already engulfed the building.
Tenders from Cavan and Belturbet worked on quelling the inferno until just after 6:00am with the Belturbet fire offices staying on site to 8:50 to ensure the fire did not reignite.
Gardaí and fire service attended the scene and the building was extensively damaged. The building is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Built in 1947 and situated at a strategic corner of Holborn Hill and Deanery Street, the former Palais Cinema occupies a prominent site in the urban landscape.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Robert Dunne, explained the sequence of events to the Celt: “I got notice about the fire at 1:05am from the station officer who was attending the incident. The fire was fully developed at that stage. The roof had already been broken through and the flame was visible.”
The Gardai have taken control of the scene and it will be subject to a forensic examination to determine the cause of the blaze.