Deliberate Fire Destroys 5G Mast in West Belfast

POLEGGLASS, Northern Ireland — Firefighters battled a blaze at a 5G mast in the Springbank Industrial Estate on Saturday after police confirmed the fire was deliberately set.

Emergency services received reports of the fire around 2:30 PM. Two fire appliances and an aerial platform were dispatched to control the flames.

Detective Sergeant McVeagh stated the fire started shortly after 2:40 PM and emphasized that the incident is being treated as deliberate. “Colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service attended the scene and extinguished the fire. Enquiries are continuing,” McVeagh said.

Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey condemned the attack, calling it “ludicrous.” He pointed out that such vandalism severely impacts local mobile coverage, as noted in a recent survey that highlighted significant mobile signal black spots in the area.

Maskey said, “This behavior is both ludicrous and absolutely nonsensical. The latest survey showed that 87 percent of people reported poor phone signal in west Belfast, which is exacerbated each time a mast is damaged.”

The attack marks the latest in a series of arson incidents targeting 5G masts in west Belfast, raising the total to over twelve in the last two years. Past coordinated attacks included five masts set alight in June 2023.

Public concern has grown as connectivity issues affect emergency services and daily life. A local NHS worker remarked, “I’ve missed emergency updates because of poor signal.”

Police are urging anyone with information about the fire to contact them, emphasizing the need for community cooperation to address this ongoing issue.