Five fire engines and two aerial ladders platform from Douglas are at the scene, along with two from Castletown and an engine from the airport.

The fire service has Tweeted: ‘We would like to advise people in properties surrounding the Mount Murray area to keep all windows and doors closed at this time.’

And it is urging the public to avoid the area until the incident is brought under control.

An eyewitness told iomtoday at 11am that the building was ‘still well alight’, although it had appeared to have been brought under control.

Isle of Man Newspapers reporter Adrian Darbyshire is at the scene now (11.50am) and says that the main accommodation block is well alight.

The accommodation block appears to be the only part of the complex that is alight, however, it’s hard to determine exactly what’s happening because the smoke is so thick.

It seems that fire crews are trying to stop the fire spreading to the conference centre and function area.

Flames had been leaping up to 15 feet into the air but seem to be dying down now.


Police have blocked off the main Mount Murray road and the airport fire service has joined the regular fire service to fight the fire.

The fire service has been taking water from the lake to quell the flames.

The roof and the top floor of the accommodation are seem to be completely burnt out.

Mount Murray resident Paul Teare saw the smoke from as far away as B&Q on Cooil Road.

He was driving home.

‘I knew it was in the Mount Murray area and I was worried in case it was my house.

‘The fire engine overtook me on the way there.’

He added: ‘The fire crews acted quickly trying to stop the blaze.’


Retired marketing manager John Martin and his wife Pamela live in Fairways Drive at Mount Murray.

Mr Martin said: ‘When we arrived there was thick black smoke and flames. It started from the left of the roof and went along the roof like wildfire because of the wind. It shot across the roof.’

The fire service says it believes that staff and hotel guests are all safe.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The technical director of the Mount Murray, Brian Stowell, said that roofers had been working at the hotel this morning.

‘I can’t understand how it’s managed to burn, I really can’t,’ he said. ‘But it has gone up.

‘I’m just grateful and so is Mr Gubay (Albert Gubay, the hotel’s owner) that everyone seems to be safe.’

Mount Murray guests who might have been out of the building when the fire broke out can ring the police on 631483 for more information.

The police stressed the number was for hotel guests only.



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Hotel fire was heartbreaking says owner

The man who built and owns the Mount Murray hotel says it was heartbreaking to hear part of it was going up in flames

Albert Gubay spoke exclusively to Manx Radio yesterday evening.

A major fire at the hotel yesterday tore through its accommodation block, gutting much of it.

It's expected to cost tens of millions of pounds to repair and will take a year to do the work.

The accommodation wing will be demolished first.

Mr Gubay told James Davis facilities such as the gym should be open again very soon:


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Mount Murray will be open again in days, says owner Albert Gubay

The business tycoon behind the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club has praised firefighters for saving half the complex – and is confident that many facilities can be back open within days.

Speaking yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, Albert Gubay said he had taken a call at 10.30am from his engineer to tell him the hotel’s bedroom block was ablaze.

‘I thought it was a joke at first,’ he said. ‘He told me it was on fire and flames were coming out of everywhere.’

But he added: ‘It didn’t get across the bridge so we will be able to re-open very shortly. We’re very lucky that the fire didn’t go that side. We’ve just refurbished the gym. The fire service has been excellent – the chief fire officer should be given a medal.

‘Within a couple of days will be back on-stream.’

Brian Stowell, technical director of the group which runs the hotel, said he had taken a call from Mr Gubay who told him to ‘smash down the link bridge and save half of it’. The fire crews stopped the fire at that point.

He said: ‘We’re very fortunate only the accommodation block has been affected. The accommodation block to all intents and purposes is written off. But the other side will still be able to function for weddings etc and the health club will able to re-open very shortly.’

Some 50 people were evacuated from the hotel accommodation block when the fire broke out.

Mr Stowell said: ‘The fire spread across the roof. I was instrumental in the construction and I can’t understand how it has managed to burn. I would never have believed a fire would take hold so quickly and it would have burned so violently.’

The unaffected block contains function rooms, restaurant, bistro, pool and a gym.

Mr Stowell said the priority now was to make the accommodation block secure as it was at risk of collapse.

He said once his team could get into the unaffected reception block, the aim was isolate services and get them restored. ‘I’m hoping we can get up and running in the next couple of days,’ he said.

Mr Stowell confirmed that roofers had been working on the building that morning and the fire started around the area where they were working.



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Hotel owners working around the clock to get Mount Murray full operational again

Bosses at the Mount Murray hotel have pledged to have it up and running again as soon as possible.

Although the accommodation block has been completely gutted, the function rooms, gym and other facilities are operational.

A spokesman for the hotel's owner says they will be working round the clock so that it's business as usual in those areas.

Brian Stowell, the technical director of the group which runs the hotel, says repairs will be costly:


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