Best Western Falmouth Beach Hotel, a luxury hotel in Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, has been severely damaged in a fire which started early in the afternoon of April 29, 2012.
Around 100 fire fighters tackled the fire. There were no fatalities, and 30 guests were moved to safety. The fire had started on the third floor of the property, and strong winds caused it to spread rapidly through the building, destroying the infrastructure and causing the roof to cave in.
The 120-room hotel, one of the biggest in the area, was opened by the Evans family in 1984, and was acquired by Best Western International Inc, a US-based hotel company, in 2000.
The 30 hotel guests, including Blur guitarist, Graham Coxon, were moved to alternative accommodation in the town, and as a safety measure, the authorities also evacuated a neighbouring hotel.
A statement from Devon and Cornwall Police said, ‘There is nothing at this stage to suggest these guests have come to any harm, and it is likely they have gone out on day trips, but police would like these individuals to make themselves known to officers at the scene or to call police on 101 to confirm they are safe and well.’
The Mayor of Falmouth, Geoffrey Evans, said in an interview, ‘It’s right at the start of the holiday season, we’ve got the Olympic Torch coming in a few weeks, and the Finn Cup (a sailing competition) as well, so I don’t know how this is going to affect accommodation. I think the hotel was fully booked, so to lose such a prominent hotel at this time of the year is a complete disaster.’
