11 Mar 2013
A fire in a derelict hotel in the Cornwall seaside resort of Newquay forced the evacuation of families living nearby.
Around 30 people were advised to leave their homes for their own safety after the blaze took hold on Wednesday afternoon at the four-story Cedars Hotel at the junction of St George’s Road and Mount Wise.
They were moved to a rest centre on Mount Wise and other residents were told to shut their windows and doors because of the smoke.
The blaze was classed as a major incident by the Cornwall Fire and Rescue service, which used six pumps and an aerial ladder to put it out.
In England and Wales the law requires all commercial properties and places of work such as hotels to have undergone a ‘suitable and sufficient’ risk assessment for fire.
If an assessment is found to be insufficient, those responsible can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Copyright Press Association 2013