It has been reported that a popular beach front hotel in the popular tourist destination of Falmouth has been completely gutted by fire.
Locals and guests alike are devastated at the events that began just after midday on Monday. The blaze is known to have started on the 3rd floor of the 120 room hotel however the source of the fire is as yet unknown to authorities.
The Best Western Falmouth Beach Hotel has been a busy hotel since it was first opened in the 1980s. During the summer months it is regularly fully-booked and attracts a number of well-known guests. One such guest was unfortunately staying at the hotel at the time of the fire – musician Graham Coxon, guitarist for rock band Blur, had rooms at the hotel during a visit to the seaside town for a performance at the Princess Pavilion.
Mr Coxon and other guests have been relocated to other hotels in the area as a short-term measure but the inevitable hotel closure and refurbishment will have serious ramifications in the months to come as guests begin travelling to the town for the summer season. A number of high-profile events, such as the Finn Cup sailing competition and the passing through of the Olympic Torch, are also due to take place locally and with one of the major hotels in the area closed the other facilities in town will have to take the strain.
Over 100 firefighters attended the blaze but they had difficulty controlling the fire amid strong winds. These winds, which are common beside the sea, not only fanned the flames of the fire but prevented the fire extinguishing efforts from being as effective as possible – crews on aerial ladders directing water onto the flames missed their target on more than one occasion and the appliances had to be continually adjusted to counter the effects of the wind.
Locals have commented on the black cloud of smoke covering the town during the fire and have also expressed their sadness that a local landmark has been so quickly destroyed.
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