Newtownards: Fire at Cordners shoe shop brought under control
- Published
The fire at Cordners shoe shop in Newtownards has been extinguished
A fire at a shoe shop in County Down has been brought under control, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has said.
The blaze at Conway Square, Newtownards was first reported at about 06:32 GMT on Friday, and 48 firefighters worked to stop the fire spreading.
NIFRS Group Commander Andy Burns praised the "tireless efforts" of firefighters during the incident.
He said the the fire is believed to have been caused accidentally.
"We would like to thank the public for their patience whilst we dealt with the incident," Mr Burns said."The incident was dealt with by 16:48. There were no injuries and the scene has now been left with PSNI."
The fire damaged a shoe shop in Conway Square, Newtownards
Seven pumping appliances, an aerial appliance and a command support unit were also deployed to tackle the fire.
A number of roads around the square were closed for much of the day. Most restrictions have now been lifted.
'Prevent the spread'
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The blaze has caused extensive damage to the Cordners Footware store.
But it has also caused uncertainty for neighbouring business owners.
Riccardo Cafolla, who runs Cafolla's café, next door to Cordners, told BBC News NI his business is expected to be closed for a "week or two" while they assess the damage.
"The shop has been there for almost 100 years, there's a lot of sentimentality to that wee shop," he said.
"Thankfully we have a hope of maybe getting it turned around in a couple of weeks time, depending on whether there's structural issues or not."
Riccardo Cafolla who runs Cafolla's café in Conway Square, which is expected to be closed for "a week or two"
Mr Cafolla praised the "fantastic" community spirit in Newtownards, and those who have rallied behind the people affected.
"In times of adversity, there's something about the people of Ards who really do come together and show a lot of love and support to everybody affected and involved," he added.
The first fire crews arrived at the scene eight minutes after the initial call out.
An NIFRS spokesperson said the fire was already "well developed" and firefighters' initial focus was to extinguish it and prevent its spread to neighbouring properties.
A total of 48 firefighters were deployed to the incident