Two beloved Dublin motoring companies have been left ravaged after a fire ripped through the Engine Block warehouse on Tuesday night - including the HQ of Drift Games.
The warehouse, located in the Ballycoolin Industrial Estate just outside Blanchardstown, was home to both Drift Games and Deane Motors, both of which have seen their stocks decimated by the blaze.
Six fire engines attended the scene, including a turntable ladder and a foam tender. Gardaí said that they believed a gas explosion had caused the huge fire.
#Ballycoolin
6️⃣ Six fire engines including a turntable ladder and foam tender are currently attending a fire In an industrial unit
🍃 Wind is blowing smoke across the locality
🏡 Close windows if you are affected pic.twitter.com/N8Eo05h2nV— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) April 9, 2024
Thankfully, nobody was injured in the fire, but a number of valuable cars are believed to have been destroyed.
- 6 fire engines, including a turntable ladder and foam tender
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Enormous Dublin car warehouse and hub destroyed in huge fire
Deane Motors, a major Dublin car dealership, had been based in the Engine Block in west Dublin since last summer, when they held their grand opening event.
The company have held various meets for Irish car enthusiasts in recent years. They also had a remarkable repertoire of vintage classics in their showroom of cars, from the likes of Aston Martin, Porsche, and Jaguar. The value of some cars reached as high as €100,000.
Deane Motors posted a clip of Tuesday night's fire ripping through their Dublin headquarters, saying, 'the home of Ireland's car culture is gone.'
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In a follow-up post on Wednesday night, Deane Motors said on Instagram:
On behalf of everyone at Deane Motors & The Engine Block we are so deeply saddened by the loss of The Engine Block the home of car culture in Ireland.
Two years ago we set out to create an all inclusive car hub for like minded enthusiasts which was the first of its kind in Ireland.
We gathered some of the best independent motoring businesses in the country and we built something to be extremely proud of.
If it weren’t for those business taking a chance with us, our dream and vision would never have been fulfilled.
Unfortunately our family business is no more. 50 years to build it, 5 hours to destroy it. The most important thing is, everyone is safe and nobody was harmed.
We really want to thank everyone for their kind words and support. If it weren’t for people like yourselves, none of this would have been worth it.
Another major car company, Drift Games, were based on the second floor of the Engine Block, and saw similar devastation in Tuesday night's fire. They shared a long-form YouTube video documenting the shocking scenes on Tuesday.
The professional gaming studio's website has been updated to a message reading 'Everything is gone,' and they have released a limited line of t-shirts to keep the studio afloat in the aftermath of the devastation of the fire.
A statement on Drift Games' Instagram account read:
It's been a really tough 24hrs for my team and all of your kind words have helped us through it.
I'll be honest when I say I'm a bit overwhelmed and defeated right now. Drift Games was built on transparency to our fans, so we did the only thing we know how and made a video for our YT channel about what has happened. I won't be watching it. I can't until I figure out any positive or solution to this mess, but we appreciate all your support.
The fire in west Dublin is a terrible blow for the capital's car enthusiasts but, most importantly, it is utterly devastating for the companies affected.
