01 Nov 2012
Investigators are still piecing together the causes of a blaze on a Victorian pier in Swansea last weekend.
The fire broke out on the iconic Mumbles Pier at around 1.20am on Saturday October 27 but it is not being treated as suspicious, the BBC reported.
Four crews rushed to the scene, where firefighters faced flames which raged for 200 metres along the 114-year-old pier.
A firefighter situated in an all-weather lifeboat was able to survey the damage beneath the pier. Although some of the decking was damaged by the flames, the main structure was unaffected.
A spark from a blowtorch used by contractors carrying out a multi-million pound refurbishment at Mumbles Pier may have been responsible for the fire.
Victorian piers are prone to fire damage, with 95% of the Grade II-listed Hastings Pier destroyed in 2010 after a similar blaze.
Richard Webborn, head of the Swansea Command at Mid Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I commend the actions of the attending crews for their swift efforts to bring the fire under control and for limiting the damage to this iconic pier.”
Copyright Press Association 2012