In the early hours of 21st April 1998 an alarm was raised by the Remote Control and Monitoring System at the Lighthouse Depot, Dun Laoghaire, indicating that smoke had been detected in the Kish Lighthouse. As a result the automatic fire extinguishing system had been activated, the generators had shut down, and the station had switched over to emergency power.

A member of Dublin Fire Brigade enters Kish Lighthouse through the trap door in the lantern balcony (photo: Thomas Murphy)

The Lighthouse Depot Telemetry Systems Officer immediately notified Capt. Kieran O'Higgins, Deputy Inspector of Lights and Marine Superintendent, who issued a Radio Navigation Warning through the Irish Marine Emergency Service (IMES).

The situation was assessed in the Inspectors' Department at 8 a.m. Weather conditions ruled out landing on the Kish by boat. The Service's contract helicopter was in Castletownbere with a full work programme, so for the emergency response Irish Helicopters' second Bolkow helicopter was deployed, operating from the Irish Lights helicopter base at Baily Lighthouse. A team of technicians was assembled to travel to Kish with the Attendant.

Aside from gases from the fire or smoke, there was a danger from the discharged extinguishing agent, so the Fire Brigade was asked to send a self contained breathing apparatus unit, and IMES arranged for the Lifeboat to standby.

Thomas Murphy, Attendant of Kish Lighthouse, takes up the story--

I ARRIVED at the Baily and met the firemen and technicians who were to travel to the Kish with me. While awaiting the arrival of the helicopter the Fire Chief briefed me on how they would enter the engine room and I described the layout of the station.

On the first flight to Kish two firemen, Eamon Purdy (Lighthouse Technician Electrical), and myself travelled, taking some of the equipment. We cleared the helipad of gear while the helicopter returned to the Baily, but we did not enter the building until the backup arrived. On the second flight were two more firemen, Willie O'Brien (Lighthouse Technician Mechanical) and Seamus McGloughlin (Chubb Fire Division).

Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat was on the scene when we reached the station.

We entered the lighthouse and set up an operations station at the main entrance. The portable generator was brought outside, started, connected to the intake and extract fans, and left run for a while to ventilate the tower. After approximately fifteen minutes two firemen donned their breathing apparatus and with radios and lamps headed for the engine room.

They discovered there were no dangerous gases present and radioed to the rest of us. We then began our investigations as to the likely cause of the incident.

Bolts on the exhaust manifold of one engine had broken and, as the exhaust fumes filled the engine room, the fire extinguishing agent had discharged.

I radioed to Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat that all was well and told them they could leave if they wished, as there was a rough sea and they had been standing by for some time. They got their clearance and, with a wave, departed the scene. Having done their job the firemen began moving their equipment back to the helipad and had a look around the station.

The technicians continued working until everything was back to normal. With the wind freshening we were glad to see the helicopter returning and two flights later we landed back at the Baily.

Thanks go to the Pilot, Dublin Fire Brigade District Officer Kevin Monaghan and his team, Eamon Purdy, Willie O'Brien, Brendan Carty (Attendant Baily), IMES, Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat crew, and Seamus McGloughlin from Chubb, all of whom had a busy day.