Two dramatic fires cause havoc in Cornish holiday hotspot

Two devastating fires have wreaked havoc in Newquay in the last five days. A prominent seafront hotel was savaged by a fire over the weekend and a barn close to a holiday park was gutted by fire on the evening of Wednesday, July 3. Both are suspected to have been started deliberately.

Hotel California, an abandoned three-storey building caught fire on Sunday, June 30, sparking a major emergency response. Smoke was seen billowing out of the windows of the building on Pentire Crescent in the town.

Eyewitnesses said they could see smoke from miles away. One person said at the time: "Hotel California in Newquay is currently on fire. I was just out walking the dog - rang the fire brigade at 4.15pm - they were on their way. It's completely taken hold now. The whole building is going."

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It was initially reported that emergency services were concerned that a person may be trapped in the derelict hotel as it was frequently used by homeless people. However, it has since been confirmed that no one was trapped or injured in the hotel blaze.

Back in February, CornwallLive reported that the hotel was due to be demolished ahead of a new development. Planning was approved by Cornwall Council before the dramatic fire broke out.

The new development was expected to see the hotel complex brought to the ground before being replaced with a residential development. The former hotel closed in November 2021 with a design and access statement submitted with the planning application stating that "after years of steady decay the hotel grew outdated and in a state of disrepair".

Last night’s barn fire, which took place near Hendra Holiday Park, located just off the A392 broke out around 7.30pm on the evening of Wednesday, July 4. Huge plumes of black smoke were seen across the sky in dramatic pictures.

At the height of the fire, at least nine fire engines were at the scene along with 56 firefighters. Residents and locals were warned to avoid the area while fire crews tackled the blaze.

Crews managed to extinguish the fire by 9.45pm, but remained to dampen down hotspots. It is not thought that anyone was injured.

The cause of both Hotel California and the barn fire are thought to be suspicious. Cornwall Fire and Rescue issued a statement on yesterday’s barn fire which warned of the serious dangers of arson offences. It said: "Arson is suspected. Arson is one of the most dangerous criminal offences. Fires and explosions can quickly spiral out of control, causing serious injury or death.”

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