Hastings Pier destroyed by devastating fire

Date posted: 05.10.10 

At approximately 0100, an alarm was raised by a member of the public that Hastings Pier appeared to be on fire. More than 50 firefighters worked through the night to bring the blaze under control. Around 95 per cent of the structure has now been ruined.

An 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old man, both from St. Leonards, were arrested shortly after the incident on the seafront, both on suspicion of arson. Ten fire crews were sent to the building in East Sussex but the fire was so fierce there was little they could do to halt the spread along the wooden construction towards the shore.

A spokesman for the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service told FIRE: "We are tackling a major fire on Hastings Pier and have been since the early hours of this morning. A call reporting a fire on a pier was received from a member of the public at around 1am and a fire engine was on the scene within five minutes. Ten fire engines, a water bowser and an aerial ladder platform are dealing with the blaze.

"The East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service Maritime Unit and two RNLI lifeboats and the Sussex Police helicopter are on the scene. The whole of the ballroom was alight and that has now spread to almost the whole of the pier. There are no reports of injuries and the cause of the fire is unknown. Roads in the area have also been shut down. As crews have been there all night, we have relief teams taking over at the scene."

Eight fire engines, a water bowser and two aerial ladder platforms were despatched to deal with the blaze. The ESFRS Maritime Unit, two RNLI lifeboats and the Sussex Police helicopter were also called to attend. The cause of the fire is still unknown, and no injuries have been reported.