A man was seriously injured in a house fire in Athlone on Wednesday morning. The alarm was raised at around 2.30am in the Willow Park area of the town. Athlone Fire Service attended the scene and the blaze was eventually brought under control. Four men suffered a range of injuries in the course of the incident. All four were removed to Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore for treatment while one man was subsequently transferred to St James's Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. No foul play is suspected and it is believed the fire was caused accidentally by the heating system.
Meanwhile, Gardaí are continuing to investigate a suspected arson attack in the Monksland area on Wednesday morning. A property in the Manor Valley area suffered extensive damage during the incident which occurred at around 2.35am. Gardaí say they attended the scene but no injuries were reported. They say they are treating the incident as criminal damage and no arrests have been made so far. Anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious is asked to contact Athlone Garda Station on 090 6498550.
