Penhallow Hotel fire

Last updated

Penhallow Hotel fire
Towan Beach, Newquay (geograph 4200725) (cropped2).jpg
Towan Beach in Newquay, 28 July 2007. The Penhallow Hotel, the large bright white building, can be seen near the centre of the image, on top of the cliffs. This photo was taken only 21 days before the fire.
Date18 August 2007 (2007-08-18)
VenuePenhallow Hotel
Location Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Coordinates 50°24′54″N5°04′52″W / 50.415138°N 5.081193°W / 50.415138; -5.081193
TypeSuspected arson
Deaths3
Non-fatal injuries5
Inquest Open verdict

The Penhallow Hotel fire was a suspected arson attack that occurred in Newquay, Cornwall on 18 August 2007. Three people were killed and it was reported as the worst hotel fire in the United Kingdom in nearly 40 years. [1] [2] The hotel was a well-known hotel for holiday makers ranging from families to older residents. It had been built in Island Crescent between 1912 and 1917, [3] and had been altered more than once. The building had a wooden fire escape at the rear, and a central light shaft running from the ground floor up to the roof in the centre of the hotel. Both of these aspects of the building played a dramatic role in the outcome of the fire. Many of those that escaped the fire were elderly holiday makers. [4]

Contents

Police at the time concluded that the fire must have been started by an intentional act. [5] However the inquest returned open verdicts as the coroner said there was insufficient evidence to rule the victims were unlawfully killed. A link has been suggested between the fire and Karen Pedley, a serial arsonist at large in Cornwall at the time. [6]

The remainder of the building was demolished, and the land has since been redeveloped as modern apartments. [7]

Fire

Towan Beach (5902) (cropped) (cropped).jpg
Towan Beach (geograph 4926429) (cropped) (cropped).jpg
The cliffs above Towan Beach in 2011 following the fire, showing the Penhallow Hotel in the centre of the image having been destroyed, and the beach in 2016, showing the new apartments built on the site of the hotel

On the night of 18 August 2007, shortly after midnight a power cut was reported followed shortly by the fire alarm activating and soon smoke was seen in the building. It is believed that the fire started in the hotel's drink bar store and then spread throughout the building. [8] A 999 call was made to Cornwall Fire Brigade's fire control at 00:17 and appliances from Newquay were mobilised. Around 4 minutes later, when the first crews arrived on scene, it was reported that the building was well alight and further crews were requested. At the peak of the blaze 100 firefighters were fighting flames that were 30 feet (9.1 m) high. [9]

Some guests woke to the sound of the fire alarm sounding with no immediate signs of smoke or fire. [10] Others reported that the fire alarm could not be heard on the third floor of the hotel, and being hampered in evacuation due to suitcases and obstacles being left in the hallways. Witnesses and guests also spoke of short comings by fire officials as the fire brigade arrived without a ladder long enough to reach the victims on the third floor. A guest spoke of how upon viewing the engine; "I could see no ladder on the fire engine. There was just an engine with a hose." [11]

Over 90 guests and members of staff managed to escape, but three people were killed in the fire. Guest Peter Hughes (a science teacher aged 43 from Staffordshire) died as a result of falling from a second floor window. Hughes' mother Monica (aged 86) also died in the blaze, along with 80-year-old Joan Harper, who was also from Staffordshire. [11]

Investigation

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) was criticised on how the incident was handled. It was reported that only one fire appliance could be mobilised from Newquay due to a shortage of crew, one appliance was sent and backup was drawn in from surrounding stations, however as previously stated the fire had taken hold by the time of arrival of the first crew. It was found that the shortcoming of appliances did not result in the three deaths. However CFRS upgraded Newquay fire station to 24-hour cover during the summer months when the population rises from an estimated 24,000 to at least 100,000.

At the inquest it was discovered that other factors were seen in the case against the owners of the hotel. Factors for the fire and the poor response were poor fire risk assessment, poor access, lack of water, lack of equipment (high rise ladder) and the FRS (Fire and Rescue Service) being sent to the wrong address. [12]

Cornwall UK mainland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
2002
Red pog.svg
2010
Red pog.svg
2007
Red pog.svg
2008
Red pog.svg
2010
Red pog.svg
2006, 09
Green pog.svg
Penhallow Hotel fire, 2007
The locations of Pedley's known arson attacks in Cornwall (red), and the site of the Penhallow Hotel fire [13]

In 2019, a former detective on the investigation into Karen Pedley, a serial arsonist who was active in Cornwall between 2002 and 2010, suggested a link between her and the Penhallow fire. [6] Pedley, from Carharrack, had apparently become obsessed with fire as a child when she became famous locally for saving her family from a night-time house fire. [6] [13] In 2016 she was convicted of setting fires in a number of buildings across Cornwall between 2002 and 2010, one of which in 2008 had killed an elderly patient in her care (she was also convicted of murder). [13] Pedley specifically targeted buildings that were known to house the elderly like the Penhallow Hotel, and her motive for her arson attacks was that she was affected by hero syndrome, whereby she started the fires in order to act as the hero by subsequently saving people from it. [6] The lead detective speaking after the Penhallow Hotel fire said they believed that the person who had started the fire had "created a dramatic event to be the centre of attention" in order to try to be a hero. [5]

In 2007, Devon and Cornwall Police stated they would treat the fire as a "major crime" until they found evidence to the contrary. [14] In January 2008, police announced that the fire was being treated as suspicious, and that the deaths were now therefore potential cases of murder. [15]

At the inquest into the deaths in 2009, the coroner, Dr. Emma Carylon found there was insufficient evidence to determine that the victims were unlawfully killed, [9] and recorded an open verdict. [16] In 2010, Cornwall Council and Cornwall fire service brought a civil suit against the owners of Penhallow Hotel and individual staff members for health and safety violations. The owners, O & C Holdsworth Ltd, admitted to two of the charges and were fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £62,000 in costs. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newquay</span> Town in Cornwall, England

Newquay is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is a civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries with an airport and a spaceport, and a fishing port on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall, approximately 12 miles (19 km) north of Truro and 20 miles (32 km) west of Bodmin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Land fire</span> 1990 arson attack in the Bronx, New York

The Happy Land fire was an act of arson that killed 87 people on March 25, 1990, in the Bronx in New York City, United States. The 87 victims were trapped in the unlicensed Happy Land social club, located at 1959 Southern Boulevard in the West Farms section of the Bronx. Most of the victims were young Hondurans celebrating Carnival, many of them part of the Garifuna American community. Cuban refugee Julio González, whose former girlfriend was employed at the club, was arrested soon afterward and ultimately convicted of arson and murder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stardust fire</span> Nightclub fire in Artane, Dublin

The Stardust fire was a fatal fire which took place at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin, Ireland, in the early hours of 14 February 1981. More than 800 people were attending a disco there, of whom 48 died and 214 were injured as a result of the fire; in later years suicides of survivors and family members were also linked to the event.

The New Cross house fire was a fire that occurred during a party at a house in New Cross, south-east London, in the early hours of Sunday, 18 January 1981. The blaze killed 13 young black people aged between 14 and 22, and one survivor killed himself two years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvanus Trevail</span> English architect

Silvanus Trevail was a British architect, and the most prominent Cornish architect of the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Fire Brigade</span> Fire and Rescue service in London

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the fire and rescue service for London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It was formed by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act 1865, under the leadership of superintendent Eyre Massey Shaw. It has 5,992 staff, including 5,096 operational firefighters and officers based at 102 fire stations.

In English law, Irish law and Northern Irish law, unlawful killing is a verdict that can be returned by an inquest in England and Wales and Ireland when someone has been killed by one or more unknown persons. The verdict means that the killing was done without lawful excuse and in breach of criminal law. This includes murder, manslaughter, infanticide and causing death by dangerous driving. A verdict of unlawful killing generally leads to a police investigation, with the aim of gathering sufficient evidence to identify, charge and prosecute those responsible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service</span> Fire and rescue service in south west England

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the counties Devon and Somerset in South West England – an area of 3,924 square miles (10,160 km2). It serves a population of 1.75 million, and is the fifth largest fire and rescue service in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headland Hotel</span> Building in Cornwall, Newquay

The Headland Hotel is a Grade II listed building located in Newquay, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It was opened in June 1900 and is built on a prominent position overlooking Fistral Beach and Towan Head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service</span> Fire and rescue service in south west England

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering Cornwall, England. As of April 2019, the service employs over 400 retained firefighters, 203 full-time firefighters, plus 170 support and administrative staff. Created under the Fire Services Act 1947 as "Cornwall County Fire Brigade", the name changed to "Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service" on 1 October 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service</span> Statutory fire and rescue service

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Norfolk in the east of England. The county consists of around 870,100 people, covering the 4th largest area in England with 2,074 square miles including 200 miles of inland waterways, 90 miles of coastline and 6,125 miles of roads. The county city is Norwich with other major towns including Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn and Thetford. Norfolk has one of the 20 Urban Search and Rescue teams across England and Wales which were set up in response to the 9/11 attacks. The teams, including Norfolk, have the capacity to deal with two simultaneous incidents across the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel fire</span> Arson attack in Queensland in 2000

The Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel fire on 23 June 2000 killed 15 backpackers – nine women and six men – at the former Palace Hotel in the town of Childers, Queensland, Australia, which had been converted into a backpacker hostel. Robert Paul Long was arrested for lighting the fire and charged with two counts of murder and one count of arson. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Greyhound</span>

Western Greyhound was a bus operator based in Summercourt, near Newquay, which operated services in Cornwall and Devon from January 1998 until March 2015.

On 5 February 2019, a fire killed at least 10 people and injured at least 36 others at an apartment block on Rue Erlanger in Paris' 16th arrondissement, France, making it the deadliest fire in the French capital since 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Hotel, Newquay</span> Building in Newquay , Newquay

The Atlantic Hotel is in Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was first opened in July 1892 and occupies a prominent position on the shore, with views of the Atlantic Ocean & the North Cornish coast.

The Granite Mill fire occurred on September 19, 1874 at the Granite Mills in Fall River, Massachusetts. The blaze killed 23 employees, most of them children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New County Hotel fire</span> Fire in central Perth, Scotland

On 2 January 2023, a fire broke out at New County Hotel in Perth, Scotland. It killed three people and one dog, and injured eleven other people.

References

  1. "Penhallow Hotel company admits fire safety breaches". BBC News. 23 March 2011.
  2. "Hotel fire was 'complete chaos'". The Cornishman. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2011.Quote: "The first member of the emergency services at the scene of the worst hotel fire in the UK for 40 years has described the early stages of the blaze as 'complete chaos'." [ permanent dead link ]
  3. "The Penhallow Hotel fire: accident, arson or incompetence? – indepth-content | Fire safety news events and jobs – info4fire".
  4. "Remains thought found after UK hotel fire". RTE.ie. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Crimewatch UK February 2008" (TV programme). Crimewatch. BBC. February 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Karen Pedley". Nurses Who Kill. Season 3. Episode 1.
  7. "Demolition begins at blaze hotel". 18 August 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  8. "Owners of fire death Penhallow Hotel to be prosecuted". BBC News. 29 September 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 "Worst UK hotel fire in 40 years". BBC News. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  10. David Watkinson. "Mum tells of hotel fire horror". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  11. 1 2 Greenwood, Andy (18 August 2017). "Three people died in a devastating hotel fire 10 years ago today". plymouthherald. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  12. "10 Years after Penhallow: Have we learned anything? - PSSA". PSSA. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 "Care home worker Karen Pedley given 14 life sentences". BBC News. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  14. "Remains thought found after UK hotel fire". RTE. 21 August 2007.
  15. "West Briton News, Stories & Cornwall Events Online - West Briton". West Briton. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  16. "Blaze hotel owners facing court". BBC News. 29 September 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2018.

Further reading