News alert! Southend peir Fire.
10 October 2005, 12:23 PM
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News alert! Southend peir Fire.
just incase you didnt know
Southend: Pier fire devastationBrought to you by the Evening Echo
THE devastating effect of the Southend Pier blaze was becoming clear today.
Firefighter Mike Jones said: "It's a very serious fire. One section of the pier is totally destroyed."
McGinty's pub, more than a mile out from shore, has been destroyed and the nearby train station has been gutted.
Marriott's restaurant. a gift shop and a toilet block are also seriously damaged.
The newly-built lifeboat station at the end of the pier was protected from flames by firefighters ferried out into the Thames Estuary by an RNLI helicopter.
Firefighters faced a struggle to get close enough to fight to save the historic attraction, which first opened in 1889 and is the world's longest pleasure pier.
Unable to take vehicles down the pier, they had to go by foot, pushing down metal barriers and borrowing a golf-style buggy from the lifeboat station to carry equipment.
Southend Council leader Anna Waite said: "It's terribly sad. I'm quite devastated. It's the fourth fire at the pier. I have seen every one of them."
* TODAY'S ECHO (MONDAY): SIX PAGES OF DRAMATIC REPORTS AND PICTURES
Southend: Pier fire devastationBrought to you by the Evening Echo
THE devastating effect of the Southend Pier blaze was becoming clear today.
Firefighter Mike Jones said: "It's a very serious fire. One section of the pier is totally destroyed."
McGinty's pub, more than a mile out from shore, has been destroyed and the nearby train station has been gutted.
Marriott's restaurant. a gift shop and a toilet block are also seriously damaged.
The newly-built lifeboat station at the end of the pier was protected from flames by firefighters ferried out into the Thames Estuary by an RNLI helicopter.
Firefighters faced a struggle to get close enough to fight to save the historic attraction, which first opened in 1889 and is the world's longest pleasure pier.
Unable to take vehicles down the pier, they had to go by foot, pushing down metal barriers and borrowing a golf-style buggy from the lifeboat station to carry equipment.
Southend Council leader Anna Waite said: "It's terribly sad. I'm quite devastated. It's the fourth fire at the pier. I have seen every one of them."
* TODAY'S ECHO (MONDAY): SIX PAGES OF DRAMATIC REPORTS AND PICTURES
10 October 2005, 12:58 PM
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update from bbc.co.uk
Arson suspected over pier blaze
The buildings on the pier have collapsed into the sea
Fire at Southend
A fire which has destroyed part of the world's longest pleasure pier is being treated as suspected arson.
Firefighters are still tackling the blaze, discovered at a pub on Southend Pier, Essex, on Sunday night. Flames were seen to leap 30 feet into the air.
The pier's wooden floor has collapsed, plunging into the sea the remains of the Jolly Fisherman pub, a railway station and other buildings.
The iron structure remains intact and no-one has been reported as injured.
A fire chief said they would put crews onto the pier once the blaze was out and then investigation officers would look for evidence of the cause.
This is expected to happen later on Monday morning.
At its height, about 60 firefighters fought to control the blaze.
A Sea King helicopter was scrambled from Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk to see if anyone was in the water, and Thames Coastguard launched a search and rescue operation as a precaution.
There had been fears for some anglers who were unaccounted for, but they have all been located.
'Raging blaze'
Eyewitness Dave Watts told the BBC News website that the main entertainment area of the pier had been "devastated".
Mr Watts, a cab driver, said he could see from the shore that the fire was "absolutely huge".
"The main entertainment area seems to have been totally destroyed. The fire was raging - it was very bad," he said.
The fire service confirmed no-one was missing from the pier.
Station Officer Dave Moore said: "It's quite a severe fire.
"At the moment we're treating it as suspicious but that's only as a cautionary action until an investigation proves otherwise."
He added the flames had looked "quite spectacular" from land, leaping 30 to 40 ft (9.14 to 12.2m) into the air.
However, Mr Moore added that the flames had now "died right back".
"Now it's just an orange glow," he said. "But it will be daylight before we can make a full attack because we are having to rely on our generators which give limited light.
"And because the floor has burned away we've got to be very careful where firefighters go - we don't want them to end up in the Thames."
Pier disasters
There are a number of buildings at the end of the pier, including the pub, fast food restaurants and a newly-built lifeboat station.
It is thought the lifeboat station has survived.
At 1.34 miles (2.16km), Southend Pier is the longest pleasure pier in the world. It opened in 1889, with extensions added in 1898, 1908 and 1929.
It has suffered a number of disasters in the past. In 1959 a major fire destroyed the Pier Pavilion at the shore end of the pier. This was replaced by a ten-pin bowling alley which opened in 1962.
The bowling alley was itself destroyed by a fire in 1995.
In 1976, the pier suffered another major fire which destroyed much of the area that had opened in 1908.
Former Southend MP Sir Teddy Taylor told BBC Five Live: ""It's sad because its one of the great assets we've got in Southend. "It's a great place to walk down, it's a great opportunity for people to enjoy themselves. But sadly it looks as though we're in for a horrible business once again." Did you witness the fire at Southend Pier? Send us your comments using the form below. You can send any footage or pictures you may have to yourpics@bbc.co.uk
The buildings on the pier have collapsed into the sea
Fire at Southend A fire which has destroyed part of the world's longest pleasure pier is being treated as suspected arson.
Firefighters are still tackling the blaze, discovered at a pub on Southend Pier, Essex, on Sunday night. Flames were seen to leap 30 feet into the air.
The pier's wooden floor has collapsed, plunging into the sea the remains of the Jolly Fisherman pub, a railway station and other buildings.
The iron structure remains intact and no-one has been reported as injured.
A fire chief said they would put crews onto the pier once the blaze was out and then investigation officers would look for evidence of the cause.
This is expected to happen later on Monday morning.
At its height, about 60 firefighters fought to control the blaze.
A Sea King helicopter was scrambled from Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk to see if anyone was in the water, and Thames Coastguard launched a search and rescue operation as a precaution.
There had been fears for some anglers who were unaccounted for, but they have all been located.
'Raging blaze'
Eyewitness Dave Watts told the BBC News website that the main entertainment area of the pier had been "devastated".
Mr Watts, a cab driver, said he could see from the shore that the fire was "absolutely huge".
"The main entertainment area seems to have been totally destroyed. The fire was raging - it was very bad," he said.
The fire service confirmed no-one was missing from the pier.
Station Officer Dave Moore said: "It's quite a severe fire.
"At the moment we're treating it as suspicious but that's only as a cautionary action until an investigation proves otherwise."
He added the flames had looked "quite spectacular" from land, leaping 30 to 40 ft (9.14 to 12.2m) into the air.
However, Mr Moore added that the flames had now "died right back".
"Now it's just an orange glow," he said. "But it will be daylight before we can make a full attack because we are having to rely on our generators which give limited light.
"And because the floor has burned away we've got to be very careful where firefighters go - we don't want them to end up in the Thames."
Pier disasters
There are a number of buildings at the end of the pier, including the pub, fast food restaurants and a newly-built lifeboat station.
It is thought the lifeboat station has survived.
At 1.34 miles (2.16km), Southend Pier is the longest pleasure pier in the world. It opened in 1889, with extensions added in 1898, 1908 and 1929.
It has suffered a number of disasters in the past. In 1959 a major fire destroyed the Pier Pavilion at the shore end of the pier. This was replaced by a ten-pin bowling alley which opened in 1962.
The bowling alley was itself destroyed by a fire in 1995.
In 1976, the pier suffered another major fire which destroyed much of the area that had opened in 1908.
Former Southend MP Sir Teddy Taylor told BBC Five Live: ""It's sad because its one of the great assets we've got in Southend. "It's a great place to walk down, it's a great opportunity for people to enjoy themselves. But sadly it looks as though we're in for a horrible business once again." Did you witness the fire at Southend Pier? Send us your comments using the form below. You can send any footage or pictures you may have to yourpics@bbc.co.uk
crime scene now.... 
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11 October 2005, 08:51 AM
#9
Apparently it is going to cost millions to put right .... Now the BIG question is, are they going to sort out the cliffs (which have been slipped now for 2-3 years now, and supposedly can't find funding for 
) or are they going to do the pier ?
Before anyone says it, yes I know the pier draws people to southend, but with the cliffs looking like they do, and for so long now, it doesn't make Southend look good.
Nate.
) or are they going to do the pier ?Before anyone says it, yes I know the pier draws people to southend, but with the cliffs looking like they do, and for so long now, it doesn't make Southend look good.
Nate.
11 October 2005, 11:58 AM
#12
So a tower was more important than a landslip?
There is no such thing as a good council.
I might take a look at the poor pier this weekend (as I will be in the area).
One tiny good point is that the fire came at the end of summer season and not the start.
There is no such thing as a good council.
I might take a look at the poor pier this weekend (as I will be in the area).
One tiny good point is that the fire came at the end of summer season and not the start.
11 October 2005, 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Nicci
So a tower was more important than a landslip?
There is no such thing as a good council.
I might take a look at the poor pier this weekend (as I will be in the area).
One tiny good point is that the fire came at the end of summer season and not the start.
There is no such thing as a good council.
I might take a look at the poor pier this weekend (as I will be in the area).
One tiny good point is that the fire came at the end of summer season and not the start.
11 October 2005, 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Mrs spec'c'57
I think that the tower was part to do with them making Pier Hill stable, before it also sliped.....Personally i think its Ugly....
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