Emergency services were called to deal with a fire at the Kilminchy housing estate in Portlaoise this afternoon.
The fire appears to have started in a top floor room of Kilminchy Medical Centre.
Staff were immediately evacuated from the building and nearby premises including the Ladbrokes bookmakers and apartments.
It is understood that no-one was injured in the incident.
Fire service personnel were on the scene within minutes, with four units attending the scene.
“There is still smoke billowing out of the building,” an eye witness told LaoisToday.
Emergency staff remained at the scene after 4 pm this afternoon.
There was speculation at the scene that the source of the fire may have been an electrical fault.
The housing estate is one of the largest in Portlaoise, and also has a number of retail premises on site.
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