Four people were rescued from what has been described as a major fire at a house in Cork city on Christmas Day.
Cork City Fire Brigade said the blaze, at the three-storey terraced house on Dyke Parade, threatened attached properties.
Two men and two women were rescued from the house and were treated for non-life threatening injuries at the nearby Mercy University Hospital.
The alarm was raised at 6.20pm yesterday when the fire broke out in a downstairs room of the house.
Six units of the fire service tackled the blaze, which was brought under control at around 9.30pm.
Cork City Fire Service 2nd Officer Victor Shine said it was a "difficult" blaze to deal with as there was no access to the rear of the property and it spread from the ground floor upwards.
"It was a difficult one. It had potential to spread to nearby houses and at one point threatened the attic of an attached house.
"It was a fire on three levels. It took a number of hours to get it completely under control," he said.
A fire crew remained at the scene overnight for any potential hot spots.
Dyke Parade is opposite Presentation Brothers College and the Tyndall National Institute. The road was closed while the fire was being dealt with.
Gardaí said the house has been preserved for a technical examination to determine the cause of the fire.
