A FIRE YESTERDAY at a storage unit in Ballymount, Dublin has destroyed materials belonging to a charity.

The blaze at the ‘Store-It’ facility destroyed The Cleft Lip and Palate Association of Ireland’s (CLAPAI) stock of materials that it distributes to first-time parents.

The charity’s maternity packs serve as a guide to parents who have children born with clefts.

Speaking about the damage, CLAPAI chairperson Georgina Wade, said, “most times parents will not know that a baby with a cleft is about to be born. It is a surprise and can be more than worrying and confusing. The biggest problems that new parents face are fear and practical advise on how to feed their new baby.”

The maternity packs provide a solid, accurate and helpful source to parents to get them through the first hours and days.

PICTURES: 50 firefighters deal with major blaze at storage unit off M50

The charity purchases the material it stored at the warehouse in bulk and estimates that the cost of the goods lost in the fire is around €8,000. They are now appealing to the public to donate to the charity via their website to help them replenish their stocks.

The group is a voluntary organisation that distributes its materials through medical facilities and individual parents around the country and receives no government funding.

The alarm was raised yesterday morning at around 10.15. The storage facility is located just off of the M50 motorway.

The scene was attended by gardaí and ten fire units, including two aerial appliances and an incident command unit. This saw a total of around 50 fire fighters at the scene.

Read: The Cork food-bank that gives away more than 1,000 meals a day

Also: Paul McGrath raised €400 for charity by auctioning off his Second Captains t-shirt