Firefighters tackle fire in disused hotel

It has been reported that fire crews from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue service were called to a major hotel fire in Torquay at the weekend.

The blaze ripped through the property, which is located on the seafront in Torquay, Devon, with firefighters having to battle in order to get the situation under control.

It took six of the county’s appliances to handle the fire at the Palm Court Hotel.

The fire service has said that it was thought than nobody was in the building at the time of the blaze, which began at around 6:30am on Saturday morning.

Thick smoke, as well as a number of bangs, were heard and reported by concerned onlookers due to the ferocity of the flames which consumed the hotel.

Liberty Feist, a local resident of Torquay, speaking to BBC News, said:

“You could see a thick black plume of smoke all along the seafront.

“There were sounds of windows cracking and breaking in the heat of the fire which was so severe it broke through the roof.”

The police have now confirmed that an investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway. It is not known whether arson is involved at this stage.