Stardust inquest hears fire extinguisher repeatedly empty

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

At Dublin District Coroner’s Court on 7 June 2023, the inquest heard that a Stardust extinguisher was empty at every inspection in the three years before the 1981 fire.

Henry Armstrong, who worked for Chubb Fire & Security Ireland, told the jury he checked the club’s records and found the same extinguisher empty on each visit. He said it was in the hall outside the kitchen, where a chef used it for small flare-ups and returned it to the wall.

Armstrong said he surveyed the premises in October 1980. He found three empty water extinguishers and three empty CO2 extinguishers, refilled them, and said they were full and working when he left.

The jury also heard that four extinguishers could be hidden by curtains when parts of the club were partitioned. Armstrong said nobody had raised the issue with him during servicing.

The inquest was continuing, with evidence also addressing exit obstructions and insulation.