Charitable marathon runner house gutted by fire

AN award-winning local runner has spoken of his ‘devastation’ after learning that a fire destroyed most of his home while he was on holiday.

Philip Anderson was in Portugal when he was told that the blaze had gutted the house outside Carrickmore in the early hours of Monday morning.

Philip (pictured) believes he has lost most of his possessions, including medals and trophies from his running achievements.

Speaking to the UH, he said, “I was in such shock when I got the news… I felt sick to my stomach.

“I have not been able to access the house yet due to safety concerns but I believe that most of my personal belongings are gone.”

The blaze is believed to have started at the home, which is located on the Termon Road outside Carrickmore, early on Monday morning.

The Northern Ireland Fire Service stated, “Firefighters were called to a detached bungalow on fire.

“The fire was well alight when firefighters arrived. They used one Aerial Appliance and three jets to extinguish the fire. The fire was extinguished by 4.44am and the cause of the fire is under investigation.”

A renowned athlete, Phillip ran a marathon every week for a year in 2015 in memory of his late wife Mary, who passed away from a brain tumour in 2014, just nine days after the loss of his mother.

Phillip set up a charity in his wife’s memory, the Mary Anderson Foundation. The charity’s goal was to support local good causes relating to child welfare, education and care-giving.

In 2015, Philip received the Special Achievement Award at the Ulster Herald Sport Personality Awards for his charitable work.

“The fire has left me in complete shock,” he said.

“The house is very badly damaged but the one good things is that my son’s room is not as bad as the rest of the house, and his belongings should be intact.”

Phillip’s neighbour, Mid Ulster councillor Cathal Mallaghan, said that he was ‘sad’ to see this happen to a family home.

“I believe that most of the house was completely gutted; I really hope people from the community can get behind Mr Anderson and support him in any way he may need,” said Cllr Mallaghan.

Police are also investigating the cause of the blaze.

In a statement, the PSNI said, “Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a house fire on the Termon Road, Carrickmore.

“The fire is believed to have started between midnight and 2am on Monday morning. If you were in the area between these times and noticed anything suspicious or have dash cam/CCTV footage please make contact with Police on 101 quoting reference 239.”