A suspicious fire in west Belfast has destroyed a substantial quantity of building materials.

The blaze broke out at a builder's yard on the Andersonstown Road last night.

Eight fire crews attended the scene, as the fire spread to a former DIY store site nearby, causing minor damage.

-- Advertisement --

"It was dangerous in that the fire spread inside the derelict building," said Martin McDonald of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue service.

"So at one stage we had to commit men inside to basically to extinguish the fire.

"Because it was a derelict building we were unsure just how safe the structure was, and we had to treat it with great care whenever we went inside."

(PR/KMcA)