Cash & Carry fire ‘a huge blow’ for Ballina

Cash and Carry fire ‘a huge blow’ for Ballina

Anton McNulty and Ciara Galvin

The future of of up to 30 people employed by Tuffy’s Cash and Carry in Ballina is in doubt after the business was gutted in a major fire last week.
The fire at Tuffy’s Cash and Carry in Bohernasup, Ballina was reported shortly after midnight on Tuesday morning, March 26 and three units of the fire brigade from Ballina, Enniscrone and Crossmolina helped tackle the blaze.
The fire caused a lot of damage to the building before it was eventually brought under control in the early hours of the morning. The scene was sealed off by the garda forensic unit for examination and the gardaí are currently awaiting the results of the forensic examination before they can determine the cause of the fire.
A spokesperson for the Fire Service in Mayo explained that the source of the fire was at the back of the building in a storage area and he does not believe it was started maliciously.
The rear of the building was extensively damaged and gutted while the front section was relatively intact. The fire was accelerated when items such as briquettes, coal and firelighters caught fire in the blaze, and as a result of the fumes caused by the fire nearby residents were advised to stay indoors and keep their windows and doors closed
Tuffy’s Cash and Carry is a long standing family-run business in the town and supplies a large range of goods to shops in the north Mayo region and employs up to 30 people. Members of Ballina Town Council described the fire as ‘a huge blow’ to the town and extended their sympathies to the Tuffy family.
Fine Gael councillor Mark Winters described the fire as a never-before-seen blaze and told last week’s meeting of Ballina Town Council that he hopes the business will re-establish itself in the wake of the tragedy.
“I’m sorry to see a family-run business going back years and I hope they re-establish the business and my sympathies go to those who are unemployed,” said Cllr Winters.
Admittedly worried about the possibility of asbestos on the site, the Councillor noted the Gardaí’s extreme efforts to ensure no outside works were taking place close to the site of the fire. Sharing his colleague’s sentiments, Cllr Johnny O’Malley described the fire as a tragedy and said he hoped the repercussions of the asbestos issue could be dealt with.
Cllr Peter Clarke said the fire and resulting unemployment of 30 workers was a ‘huge blow’ to Ballina and acknowledged that the Tuffy family will find it tough.Cllr Clarke also commended front line services for ensuring public safety.