VIDEO: Firefighters tackle Hastings Pier blaze
Firefighters tackle the Hastings Pier blaze from a lifeboat: video
This video released by the RNLI shows firefighters tackling the Hastings Pier blaze from the sea.
The lifeboat was called out at 1.15am and the crew spent five hours helping battle the inferno.
Clive Mayhew, local RNLI spokesman, said it was a difficult operation despite the fact the crew are trained for such an eventuality.
He said: "There are contingency plans in place between the fire brigade and us for a fire on the pier and we have done joint exercises around that scenario.
"Our first task was to take heat seeking cameras to see if there was anyone on the pier and then we enabled the firefighters to get close enough to use their hoses to cool the superstructure down, to try and stop it buckling.
"It was a difficult operation because it was dark, it was quite windy and the sea was rough and the tide was very low when we first went out. There wasn't a lot of water to work in and there was stuff falling off the pier."
The RNLI's inshore inflatable craft was also on hand in case a snatch operation to rescue anyone from the attraction was needed, but fortunately it wasn't.
Both boats returned to the lifeboat station about 6am, after being stood down by the fire service.
Mr Mayhew added: "Obviously there is a lot of debris in the water and we would ask boatowners to be careful. It will also cause us a problem if we get called out near the pier, so that is something we will have to monitor."
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Weather for Hastings
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: West
