Dad who battled blaze plays down heroic deed

Louise Walsh

A young Meath dad, who bravely fought a house fire  until the emergency services arrived has played down his heroic deed.

Martin Keegan (26) managed to contain the blaze from spreading from a ground-floor apartment in Ballivor on Friday night.

It's understood that some furnishings in the apartment at Clos na Croise caught fire shortly after 9pm and flames were licking out the window by the time the young dad got there.

"I got a call from my sister about the fire and I initially thought it was my mam's house so I went straight up the road," he said

"I saw the fire in the bottom apartment.  The window had blown and the flames were coming out the window.

"Thankfully the neighbours had alerted each other and everyone - including the couple and their baby - that live in the apartment had been evacuated safely.

"I work with Dyno-Rod drainage so have a tank of water and a hose in the back of my van.  I connected the hose to a water hydrant and kept the fire under control for about 10 or 15 minutes until the emergency crews arrived.

"It would die down and I'd think it was out but then it would spark up again.  The place was black with smoke"

However Martin played down his bravery, saying that anyone would have done the same.

"Hopefully I did the right thing.  I wasn't even thinking.  Luckily I had the equipment and I just went into autopilot and used it.

"Some other men came over and helped to reel out the hose for me from the van as I ran across the road to the fire, so I had help.

"Everyone was very thankful but I don't want praise.  I would have did the same for anyone and anyone, I hope, would have done the same for me.

"The neighbours at Clos na Croise were every bit as brave and couldn't help enough."

However neighbour Claire O'Mara believed that the fire may have spread to other apartments, if Martin hadn't acted.

"He did great.  He kept hosing the room and only for him, the fire or even just smoke damage would have surely have spread to neighbouring ground floor apartments and possibly the one above.

"He did it without a seconds thought.  He's a hero for sure.  He's known around the village for helping anyone in need.

"He's just an all round genuine, decent guy."

Ironically Martin has been fundraising for his friends who lost their home to a fire in Ballivor last month.

"They lost absolutely everything but the community has rallied around and arranged events to raise money for them to get back on their feet.

"The community in Ballivor is exactly what makes this village great."

The fire services confirmed that two units from Trim and Navan attended the fire which was extinguished quickly by them.