Community in shock after fatal arson attack on Waterford estate

Residents of Birchwood estate in Waterford were awakened at about 5 am on Tuesday by desperate cries as a house fire engulfed a home on the estate.

One woman, who asked to remain unnamed, said she heard the pleas “Throw the kids down, throw the kids down” and could only watch as thick black smoke poured from the building, leaving her in tears.

Another unnamed resident described hearing “people screaming for their lives inside a burning house,” adding that the sound shocked her.

By 10 am the last hearses had left the scene and fire engines began to depart, leaving the estate in a state of disbelief. The fire claimed the lives of Kim and Philip English and two of their children; two other children remain in critical condition.

Local leaders expressed the community’s devastation. Sinn Féin councillor Joeanne Bailey said everyone was “in shock” and hoped for support for those traumatised. TD David Cullinane called the tragedy “a ripple effect right across Waterford city, and the island of Ireland.”

Parish priest Gerry Chestnutt, who had officiated family milestones, said there was “no logical explanation” for the loss of a well‑known, tight‑knit family. Waterford City councillor Joe Kelly noted the usual sounds of children playing were now absent from the estate.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: SHOX ART / Pexels.