BEACH BLAZE Bournemouth beach fire ‘started by sunseeker cooking on gas stove’ sparks evacuation as beach huts go up in flames
A team of 40 firefighters battled to control the flames which burnt down three beach huts on the promenade and covered 100 square metres of cliff face.
Huge plumes of black smoke billowed across the beach as horrified beach-goers watched on as firefighters climbed up the cliff with hoses.
Beach huts on the seafront in Bournemouth can cost as much as £100,000.
Lifeguards used megaphones to push crowds away from the blaze which took hold of 100 square metres of the heath-covered cliff.
Police rushed to the scene and closed off the roads leading up to the beach as desperate attempts were made to bring the blaze under control.
Fire officer Andy Cole said: "We believe the fire started accidentally in one of the beach huts due to a cooking accident.
"It spread to another beach hut and because the cliff face is so close to the beach huts went up the hill."
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Witness Jonty Hughes, 22, from Bournemouth, said: "I was about 60ft from it when the fire first started - just inside one beach hut.
"A guy came running out shouting for people to get back as there was a small gas canister down the side of his beach hut.
"He kept shouting for people to get out of the way and when it did reach the gas there were loads of pops, which sounded almost like aerosols.
"The wind pushed the flames up the cliff face and the fire just rose all the way up from there. It was unbelievable."
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