Blackpool Tower ‘fire’ found to be orange netting blowing in strong winds
By TOI Desk Report
December 29, 2023
Update on : December 29, 2023
The suspected “blaze” that broke out at the top of Blackpool Tower, a historic landmark on the northwest coast of England, on Thursday was orange netting blowing in strong winds.
The incident triggered an emergency response after witnesses, at 14:15 GMT, spotted “flames” coming from a metal section near the top of the tower, opened in 1894, reports BBC.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service sent six fire engines, a drone team and a “rope rescue” team to the scene in response to discover the reported blaze.
Meanwhile, a video on this incident went viral on social media that showed ‘flames’ at the top of the 129-year-old structure.
Staff were evacuated from the tower but the fire service said after gaining access to the area, a specialist team confirmed that there had been no fire.
A statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), says concerned members of the public called LFRS to Blackpool, to discover the factors that led them to believe it was a fire.
Lancashire Police said the top of the tower is generally inaccessible, therefore access to this area is difficult. The National Police Air Service also used thermal imaging.
They provided further assurance that there was no fire and found orange netting blowing in strong winds.
Meanwhile, a man was arrested for his suspicious involvement in breaching peace near the scene, said police.
A Blackpool Tower spokesperson said they can confirm that there is no fire and that what looked like a fire from a distance was light on a reflective netting surface.
The tower, built between 1891 and 1894, is 519ft high and is a Grade I listed building.
Sir John Bickerstaffe, former Blackpool mayor, had the idea of building a Lancashire version of the Eiffel Tower.
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