PALACE PIER FIRE 19.00 HRS TUESDAY 4TH FEBRUARY 2003
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, ALTHOUGH IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL FAULT, THE FIRE WAS BOUGHT UNDER CONTROL BY 19.30 APPROXIMATELY ON TUESDAY EVENING, BY A TEAM OF FIFTY FIREFIGHTERS. THE LIFEBOAT WAS ALSO CALLED TO THE SCENE NOT ONLY FOR THE SAFETY OF FIRE OFFICERS, BUT ALSO TO ASSIST IN DIRECTING THE FIREMAN ABOVE.
THE FOLLOWING DAY AN INSPECTION WAS MADE TO DISCOVER THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. ALTHOUGH THE GHOST TRAIN WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN THE FIRE, AND SEVERAL NEARBY RIDES SUFFERED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE, THE MAIN STRUCTURE APPEARS TO BE SOUND.
IT COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A WORST TIME, SO CLOSE ON THE HEELS OF THE DAMAGE TO THE WEST PIER DUE TO STORMS.
WORK WAS STARTED ALMOST AT ONCE ON CLEARING THE DEBRIS, THE HELTER-SKELTER RIDE HAD TO BE DEMOLISHED AND PLANS WERE SOON UNDERWAY FOR RESTORATION, THE TOTAL REPAIR BILL HAD BEEN ESTIMATED AT A MILLION POUNDS.
IN DAYS THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE PIER SUFFERED A SETBACK DUE TO LOCAL PLANNERS, THE OWNERS THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO INSTALL TWO COMPLETELY NEW LARGE RIDES, BUT PLANNING HAD BEEN REFUSED, AS IT WAS FELT THE RIDES WOULD RESTRICT ACCESS AND OVERWHELM THE END OF THE PIER, AFTER ALL IT IS A GRADE TWO LISTED STRUCTURE.
ALTHOUGH THE PIER WAS RESTORED & EVENTUALLY HAD NEW RIDES ADDED IT HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY SEVERAL FIRES SINCE !
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