Blackpool hotel fire causes Prom closure

A fire in one of the biggest hotels in Blackpool forced guests to evacuate the building and South Promenade to close for a few hours on Monday evening.

Fire crews were called to tackle the fire which broke out in the cellar of the Queens Hotel at 1720 GMT.

As the 30 or so firefighters from South Shore, St Annes, Bispham, Forest Gate and Fleetwood attempted to put out the blaze, the hotel’s 169 guests had to leave the premises and were led to nearby Palatine Leisure Centre.

Many of the hotel guests who were suffering from smoke inhalation had to be treated at the scene.

The Promenade was later opened again once the area had been secured and the flames put out by the fire crews. A number of roads surrounding the hotel also had to be closed until the situation was under control.

An investigation is now underway into the cause of the blaze, with the police working with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to conduct this operation.

As yet another fire in a hotel is reported by the media, this just stresses the need for appropriate fire safety training to be given to all staff working in such establishments, with a course in Fire Safety in Hotels, Guest Houses or Bed and Breakfasts now available.