A fire ruled deliberate at a Main Street building in Markethill, County Armagh, has postponed its conversion into a residential care home for adults with learning disabilities.

Owners Inspired2Care own the property, previously known as Hebron House. The site was set to operate under Good People, pending regulatory approval from bodies such as the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service attended shortly after 3.30am on Friday, February 27. Crews in breathing apparatus deployed two hose reel jets to put out the ground-floor fire and departed by 4.45am.

Damage affected a front room on the bottom floor and a window. The structure stood vacant during the incident, and no one suffered injuries.

Police treat the fire as arson. Inspector Jennings said officers joined firefighters at the scene. The PSNI seeks witnesses, CCTV, dash-cam or other footage from the area.

Contact detectives on 101, reference 132 27/02/26, or submit anonymously through Crimestoppers. Inspired2Care noted full cooperation with investigators and commitment to regulatory standards before any service launch.