NEWS

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is urging people to take extra precautions after it revealed almost 70% of people who have died in house fires in the last 10 years lived alone. Saturday 17 October 2026 Almost seven in ten people who died in house fires across Northern Ireland over an 11-year period were living alone, according to figures released by the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS). The figures reveal that 89 people lost their lives in house f

The scene of a blaze in Ballymena on Tuesday night, into the early hours of Wednesday morning. Wednesday 14 October 2026 Firefighters from five stations were called to a warehouse in Ballymena late on Tuesday night after a forklift caught fire, prompting a major emergency response involving eight fire appliances and a command support unit. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) was alerted to the incident at Silverwood Business Park on Raceview Road at 11.38pm o

NIFRS at the scene of the most recent deliberate fire In the former college building in Ballymena Wednesday 30 September 2026 Another suspected deliberate fire at Ballymena’s former Northern Regional College campus has prompted a call for urgent action to secure the building and clarify its future. Ulster Unionist representative Colin Crawford said “enough is enough” after firefighters were called to the vacant site on Saturday 19 September, warning that people living and wor

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) marked the beginning of construction on a new Fire Station in Cushendall with an official sod-cutting ceremony. Pictured L-R: Joe Smyth, Department of Health; Brendan McAllister, NIFRS Watch Commander; Seamus and Sean Woulahan, Seaview Developments; and Aidan Jennings, NIFRS Chief Fire & Rescue Officer. Wednesday 30 September 2026 Construction has begun on a new £1.8 million fire station in Cushendall, with the existing station r

Fire crews tackle burning homes in Ballymena during the disorder of June 2025 Wednesday 30 September 2026 Ballymena firefighters who tackled house fires and burning barricades during disorder in the town in June 2025 have received formal recognition for their response. Station Commander Alan Barr, White Watch and On-Call personnel from Ballymena Fire Station were awarded a Chief Fire & Rescue Officer commendation for their actions on 9 June. Local colleague John Shannon was a

The fire which is believed to have been started deliberately on Monday in Ballymena Tuesday 29 September 2026 Police are appealing for witnesses after a fire at a derelict property in Ballymena forced a number of nearby residents to be evacuated on Monday afternoon. The blaze, which police are treating as deliberate ignition, broke out at an outhouse in the Larne Road area at around 2.20pm on Monday 28 September. Outhouse destroyed by fire Sergeant McDowell said officers resp

(L-R) Health Minister Robbie Butler joins Aidan Jennings, Chief Fire and Rescue Officer and Paula White, Director of Finance and Support Services to welcome a £16m investment in new NIFRS appliances and equipment. Forty-seven new fire appliances and specialist vehicles are being introduced across Northern Ireland as part of a fleet investment worth more than £16 million. The major upgrade includes £11 million for 31 new fire appliances, providing crews with modern equipment d

Smoke was seen rising into the morning sky in the area of Lidl’s Ballymena store Shoppers and motorists were left concerned on Wednesday morning after smoke was seen rising from the vicinity of the Lidl store on Larne Road Link in Ballymena. The sight prompted concern locally that there may have been a fire at the supermarket, with the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service called to the area shortly after 9am. Fire crew sent to Larne Road Link One appliance from Ballymena Fi

People across Northern Ireland who are looking for a physically demanding career with the opportunity to make a real difference now have the chance to apply to become a wholetime firefighter, as Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) launches its latest recruitment campaign. Applications opened today, Monday 20 July, and will remain open for two weeks, closing at 12 noon on Monday 3 August 2026. Successful applicants will join NIFRS as wholetime firefighters, working

The devastating scene of the blaze on Sunday morning in Greenisland. (Images: Conor MacAuley, RTE) Families were forced from their homes after a major fire tore through a row of properties in Greenisland, destroying two houses and damaging two others. Around 45 firefighters were sent to Knockleigh Walk after Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service received its first emergency call at 12.13am on Sunday, July 12. At the height of the incident, flames had spread across a number o

Two homes were completely destroyed and two others damaged after a major fire in Greenisland during a demanding night in which firefighters responded to 151 incidents across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service received 303 emergency calls between 6pm on Saturday, July 11, and 2am on Sunday, July 12, with 54 of the incidents attended linked to bonfires. Fire crews also withdrew from a bonfire in the Cookstown area after encountering what NIFRS described as

NIFRS On-Call Crew Commander at Ballyclare Fire Station, Sam Todd A firefighter from Ballyclare who has spent nearly four decades serving his local community has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours, highlighting a lifetime of public service both on the frontline with Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and through his long career with Translink. Sam Todd, an On-Call Crew Commander at Ballyclare Fire Station, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in rec

Bannside Alderman Stewart McDonald with NIFRS Ballymena Station Commander Alan Barr during a visit to Ahoghill bonfire site Young people involved in building Ahoghill’s annual bonfire have received a direct fire safety briefing from Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), in a move aimed at reducing risks ahead of the summer bonfire season. TUV Bannside Alderman Stewart McDonald welcomed NIFRS Ballymena Station Commander Alan Barr to the village bonfire site this we

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service faced an intense night of emergency callouts on Tuesday as crews responded to dozens of incidents linked to escalating disorder across the Greater Belfast area, with additional appliances drafted in from across Northern Ireland to cope with demand. In an operational update issued shortly after midnight, NIFRS revealed its Regional Control Centre handled 256 calls between 7pm and midnight alone, resulting in attendance at 62 separate inci

Women across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to explore a career in firefighting as Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service prepares to launch a major recruitment drive for Wholetime Firefighters next month. Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has announced a series of hands-on “Come and Try Days” aimed specifically at women interested in joining the service, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the demands, realities and opportunities of modern firefig

The scene on Sunday afternoon as huge plumes of smoke billowed into the sky from a blaze at a scrapyard in Titanic Quarter, Belfast (Images: Anne Kelly) A major firefighting operation is continuing in Belfast after a huge blaze broke out at a scrapyard on East Twin Road, prompting public safety warnings and a significant emergency response. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said 60 firefighters are currently battling the fire at Clearway Metal Recycling, where a large qu

Firefighters remain at the scene of an ongoing vehicle fire in the Glenwhirry area outside Ballymena on Friday afternoon after emergency services were called to the incident shortly before 2.40pm. Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed crews were tasked to Douglas Road, Glenwhirry, at 2.37pm on Friday 22 May 2026, with multiple appliances dispatched to tackle the blaze. The incident prompted a significant emergency response in the rural Ballymena area, wit

Carhill Cars in Garvagh The owner of a County Londonderry car showroom destroyed in a suspected arson attack has described the devastation caused to his business as “gut-wrenching”, saying the premises now need to be completely demolished and rebuilt. Liam Rafferty, owner of Carhill Cars in Garvagh, said he was left “heartbroken” after fire ripped through the business in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Despite the scale of the destruction, he said he was thankful nobody

A major fire involving a car showroom, multiple vehicles and café premises in Garvagh prompted a large-scale emergency response in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with 55 firefighters deployed to tackle the blaze. Emergency crews were called to the incident on the Carhill Road at approximately 4.30am on Wednesday 13 May after reports of a building fire. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said firefighters arriving at the scene were met by a “developed fire” involvin

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and DAERA Minister Andrew Muir pictured with Firefighter Ray Glynn, Assistant Chief Fire & Rescue Officer Marcus Wright, Watch Commander Michaela Corr and Crew Commander Sheena McKieverigan from NIFRS. A major emergency response has been triggered across Northern Ireland after a series of wildfires tore through the Mourne Mountains and other areas, destroying vast stretches of land, threatening homes and placing intense pressure on frontline servi