Blaze Destroys Historic Seaside Pier
– Weston-super-Mare
A FIERCE fire destroyed the historic seaside pier at
Weston-super-Mare late last month, quickly reducing the major
tourist attraction to a smoldering wreck.
There were no casualties.
Jacquie Whelan, owner of the nearby Sunfold Hotel, said he could
not believe the scale of the inferno. “They are massive red flames,
hundreds of feet in the air, all over the pier,” Whelan said as the
fire raged. “We are a five-minute walk to the pier, and from where I
am standing it just looks like a huge bonfire.”
The Grand Pier, built in 1904, was listed as a historic monument.
Its entertainment complex included rides, a go-cart track, a bar and
a cafe.
Mayor Andrew Horler told Sky that he was “lost for words for the
pure devastation. It’s a real blow for Weston, it’s such a
beautiful, iconic building. ... It’s really a centerpiece, just the
heart of Weston-super-Mare.”
Avon Fire and Rescue said it was first alerted to the blaze at
about 6:45am. The fire service said it had 15 engines and about 100
personnel on the scene.
The owner of the Grand Pier, Kerry Michael, who bought the pier
with his sister in February, said they were “absolutely devastated”
by the blaze, and said he “will work tirelessly to restore” the
structure.
An inquiry was to be held into the cause of the blaze. |
