Crowdfunding pages have been established to help families whose homes were burned by an Eleventh Night bonfire in Belfast.
One has already raised more than £500. Orangemen and the Shankill Protestant Boys flute band are also gathering money.
Two homes adjacent to the Hopewell Square bonfire in Belfast’s Shankill Road were gutted when a blaze broke out on the roofs of the terrace at around 1am on Tuesday. At least one other house was damaged.
It is suspected that hot bonfire embers were blown onto the roofs by the wind.
An elderly woman and her great-granddaughter lived in one of the houses.
Aye things are wise here in the Shankill. #Twelfth #bonfire #belfast pic.twitter.com/ne15EQmFZU
— Nate Gray (@Doatsyboy) July 12, 2016
A young pregnant woman was among those who lived in another that suffered smoke damage in the blaze.
The North’s Housing Executive is seeking temporary accommodation for some affected while others are staying with relatives.
Roof on fire at Shankill #bonfire #EleventhNight #NINews pic.twitter.com/Q1Eov9re1e
— claire williamson (@clairewilliam22) July 12, 2016
A crowdfunding page was established by Stephen Paul, who said: “We are trying to raise as much money as possible, to help the families who lost their homes and all their belongings in the fire last night.
“I would really appreciate it if you could help us out in anyway, to get these families back on the feet again.
“It’s times like this that we need to pull together as a community to show are (sic) support for these families.”
Several roofs were destroyed while staircases were badly damaged after a property was engulfed in flames.
The total number of call-outs received by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) overnight was up on last year.
Of the 123 calls between 9pm and 1am, 42 were bonfire-related. At 16 of those call-outs, firefighters had to actively intervene.
As well as in Belfast, fire crews attended bonfire-related incidents in Bangor, Coleraine, Banbridge, Rathfriland, Dungannon, Derry City, Portadown, Ballyhalbert and Limavady.
The NIFRS said there were no reports of any crews being attacked.
