Island fire claims life

Island fire claims life


62-year old died despite frantic attempts by neighbours to save him

Áine Ryan
aineryan@mayonews.ie

DESPITE heroic efforts by island neighbours, a 62-year old man tragically died in a house fire on Clare Island late on Sunday night last.
Mr Jim Biggs, a part-time resident of the Clew Bay outpost, is understood to have died from smoke inhalation as he slept in his bedroom in the family cottage at Lecarrow. The alarm was raised after a young islander, who was passing by, noticed flames. The Mayo News understands that he rushed to his nearby house for a fire extinguisher and then, with the help of others, broke in a bedroom window where they found Mr Biggs in bed and removed him from the burning house.
Two resident island nurses also attended the scene, as well as island Order of Malta personnel, and attempts to revive him were continued until the arrival of a doctor, by RNLI boat, from Achill.  Locals believe the fire started in the main room of the house, which was extensively damaged. 
The scene was preserved for a technical examination, with a team of seven gardaí travelling to the island yesterday (Monday) morning. More forensic Garda experts are due to examine the scene today (Tuesday). However, The Mayo News understands the Gardaí are treating the death as a tragic accident. Mr Biggs’s remains were removed to Mayo General Hospital just before noon yesterday for a post mortem.

Dublin native
A Dublin native, he moved to Clare Island with his wife, Angela, and  young family in the early 1990s.  For a number of years he continued his work as a Merchant Engineer with Dublin City Council while his wife and family lived on the island and ran their small farm.
Renowned locally as a ‘colourful character’ and raconteur, Jim Biggs had many stories of his early voyages to Africa. In recent years he spent much of his time in Cuba and South America and was in Chile at the time of the major earthquake in February 2010.
Speaking yesterday, islander Padraic O’Malley said: “Jim was certainly a colourful, kind and generous character. He loved Clare Island and was always proud of his association with it. He often recalled the fact that it was the addition of three of his five young children to the national school roll book that led to a second teacher being employed. He may have been a real Dub but I think he felt privileged to be part of an island community too.”
Mr O’Malley also said that the late Mr Biggs was ‘a generous man’.
“The last conversation I had with him he was discussing the idea of offering the national school a gift and I understand he called to the school to try and identify what was most needed afterwards,” he added.
Jim Biggs is survived by his former wife, Angela, five adult children, Graham (Cork), Sandy (Colorado), Catherine (Australia), Angela (Dublin) and James (Westport).  He is also survived by three sisters, Cathy, Patricia and Margaret. Arrangements for his funeral service were not confirmed at the time of going to Press.

Island fire-fighting
THE issue of fire-fighting on offshore islands was highlighted after the tragic death of three elderly sisters on Inishbofin in 1999. While these women were the victims of an arson attack, other fires, in the interim have led to repeated calls by island communities for better fire-fighting services.
Ultimately, island residents were provided with fire-blankets, extinguishers and smoke-alarms in December 2003. A  house fire on Clare Island in January 2004, was quenched when islanders used over 43 of these fire-extinguishers. However, this fire and a subsequent one in the kitchen of the Bayview Hotel, in 2006, led to further calls for islands to be furnished with small fire tenders and the appointment of an island fireman.
Speaking at the time, Dr Jerry Cowley, then a TD, said: “Mayo County Council have failed in their statutory duty to ensure that the citizens of Clare Island have adequate fire cover. The island should not have to depend on fire blankets and domestic fire extinguishers to put out a house fire,” he said.
However, Mr John Condon, County Secretary, reiterated to The Mayo News yesterday that it was not feasible to provide small fire tenders for offshore islands. He confirmed that there was a tender on the largest Aran Island of Inis Mór, which has a population of over 800.
He repeated the fact that islanders had been provided with extinguishers, blankets and fire alarms and had also been given training on their use.
When questioned about the installation of eight fire hydrants on Clare Island last Summer he said they were not commissioned by the fire service.

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