Royal Albion Hotel Brighton Fire On Saturday

Royal Albion Hotel Brighton Fire

A council has said that section of a 200-year-old hotel in Brighton that was damaged by fire would be demolished "as soon as possible".

The Regency-style Royal Albion Hotel, which has a view of Brighton Pier, caught fire on Saturday night. The building was "no longer structurally safe" in some areas, according to Brighton and Hove City Council, and demolition would take two to three weeks.

No one was hurt, according to the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS).

According to the service, "difficult conditions" necessitated the evacuation of residents from surrounding structures.

Due to "significant smoke" exacerbated worse by wind, the Old Steine and Kings Road were closed, and visitors were warned to keep away.

The A259, the road that runs alongside the hotel, will stay closed for at least the ensuing 72 hours, according to ESFRS on Monday.

The Brighton and Hove City Council created a rest area to aid those who had to leave their homes.

One Old Steine resident claimed that the fire started while they were out and that when they returned, their flat was filled with smoke.

Their pet kitten needed to be rushed to the hospital where oxygen was administered.

The tenant told the BBC, "My home is covered in black soot and smoke damage."

The fire department said on Monday morning that workers were starting to reduce their involvement in the blaze, which at its height had 15 fire engines on the scene.

According to George O'Reilly of ESFRS, the building was "unsound".

He told BBC Radio Sussex, "I'm not going to put my crews into the building because the building could possibly fall on them.

"We're going to knock down a portion of that building and put out the fire at the same time."

According to incident commander Chris Baker, it is anticipated that all 100 or so residents who were evacuated from the neighbourhood have either found new lodgings or are receiving assistance from the council in doing so.

It is understood that the hotel has secured alternative lodging for each of its visitors.

Bella Sankey, the council's president, said: "These are terribly terrible scenes for our city.

I have nothing but the highest praise for our emergency services, who have been working so hard for the past two nights in the most trying conditions.

According to Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle, it was impossible for people to breathe outside, forcing restaurants to close their patios.

It must be rebuilt in keeping with its traditional design in order to preserve its heritage.

To assist, firefighters from Western fire departments as well as those from Preston Circus, Newhaven, Hove, Lewes, Eastbourne, and Pevensey were dispatched.

Britannia Hotels manages the 219-room hotel that was constructed in 1826.

English Heritage designated a portion of the structure as Grade II* after a previous fire in November 1998.

Royal Albion Hotel Fire in Brighton 24 Nov 1998 F

To put out the fire, more than 70 firefighters and 16 fire engines were sent. There were no casualties during the evacuation of about 160 guests and employees.

As the bar in the 1970s looked out over the Palace Pier, it was one of my favourite places to stop. It was a terrific spot to observe the city lights and the rest of the passing scene. My name was known to the barman. So, when we chose this more upscale place over the other bars along West Street, our girl companions were appropriately impressed. Mr. Grub was the restaurant's manager at the time.

The Royal Albion Hotel's owner?

British Group

Prior to the turn of the millennium, the Royal Albion Hotel was sold to the Prince of Wales Hotels Group in 1978, acquired by Park Hotels in 1987, and acquired by its present owners Britannia Group in 1997.

What was the selling price of the Albion Hotel?

Leading hotel management company Solotel recently sold the Albion Hotel property in Parramatta to a Shanghai-based developer for around $60 million.

When was the hotel Albion built?

James Westwood, a carpenter, constructed the first Albion Hotel on the property in 1839, which was a sizable timber structure with a single story and a shingle roof. Brewer Henry Condell, Melbourne's first mayor, had it reconstructed in the early 1850s as a grander hotel with 60 rooms.

Royal Albion Hotel Brighton Fire