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AVON FIRE and Rescue Service is continuing its investigation into the serious fire at Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier attraction, as other agencies address the impact of the fire on tourism and the local economy.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of 28 July, destroying the pavilion at the end of the quarter-of-a-mile-long pier. No-one was hurt but the bar areas, arcade machines and game booths in the pavilion were lost.
As Fire Risk Management went to press, the fire service said the cause was still being investigated, although there was early speculation that the fire started in a kitchen area.
At the height of the blaze, some 13 fire engines and more than 85 firefighters were in attendance, with an exclusion zone put in place around the pier and beach. Due to the severity of the fire, crews fought the flames from a distance using water jets and set up fixed ground monitors. The brigade also deployed its hovercraft to assess the stability of the structure and its iron girders from the water.
Certain walkway areas of the pier reopened just three days after the blaze, and the local council has held talks with heritage and tourism bodies to discuss reconstruction work amid fears that the damage to the 104-year-old pier may have an adverse impact on tourism and local business trade.
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