How pier blaze took hold

Thousands of birds have made the derelict pier their home. As yesterday's fire took hold, a plume of white smoke snaked into the blue horizon and the birds took flight.

Although many witnesses report seeing smoke coming from the pier from 8.30am, the first 999 call was not made to East Sussex Fire Brigade until 9.46am.

A man on a mobile phone reported smoke "coming out of the left hand side of the old pier."

As fire crews scrambled aboard their engines, the smoke began to billow and more calls flooded in.

Brighton and Shoreham lifeboats were alerted and headed for the pier, along with the coastguard.

By the time the first fire crews arrived, the blaze had consumed the historic pavilion. But the firefighters were helpless.

Most of the structure is over the sea and too dangerous to walk on. The frustration felt by the 40 firefighters was tangible.

The blaze was classed as a maritime incident and the coastguard was put in overall control.

The Shoreham lifeboat, which has firefighting capabilities, circled the pier with a fire officer on board.

But the heat, low tide and underwater obstructions meant it could not get close enough to tackle the flames.

Brighton Lifeboat was also at the scene but equally helpless.

Hovering above them was the coastguard helicopter from Lee-on-Solent and the traffic police helicopter.

And in the sea, a small flotilla of boats ringed the blazing pier and the lifeboats.

As news of the fire spread through the city, thousands of people gathered to watch the dramatic scenes.

Traffic on the seafront Kings Road ground to a halt as people stared in disbelief.

The roar of the blaze was punctuated by the sound of masonry and burning wood occasionally crashing down.

Through the smoke, a strange cloud of yellow vapour could be picked out drifting above the pier. Fire crews said it was probably burning sulphur, used in the hulk's cast iron supports.

All through the morning and into the afternoon, calls were being made to the fire brigade.

By noon, the flames had begun to die down and resembled an orange carpet over the base of the charred skeleton that remained.

Above the sound of helicopters circling overhead came the surreal sound of Pavarotti singing.

In a bid to mark the former majestic pier's destruction, Giuseppe Colasurdo had flung open the windows of Alfresco's restaurant and played Nessum Dorma at full volume.

Amid the scenes of devastation there were irritations the emergency services had to deal with.

Brighton Lifeboat picked up a swimmer who was trying to get near with a camera.

And a pleasure boat, hoping for a better view, cruised too close.

By mid-afternoon, the blackened remains were still smoking and as the wind direction changed, there were fears the fire could reignite.

Those fears were later realised when the west kiosk, once a clairvoyant's booth, was engulfed in flame.

By 4pm, as the wind blew in from the sea, the seafront, from Embassy Court right into Hove, became covered in a thin blanket of smoke. Flecks of ash were blowing into people's faces and the stench of smoke filled people's lungs.

Elsewhere, small pockets of fire could still be seen burning through the pier's floor.

Firefighters used pumps on a tug to damp down the red-hot structure in a bid to prevent it buckling and falling into the sea.

One shopkeeper, who did not want to be named, said she was doing a roaring trade in selling postcards of how the West Pier used to look.

Tony D'Ademo, who runs the Twin Pier View cafe, said he might have to consider changing his firm's name.

He said: "We've only just bought the limited company name. We might have to change it again - but on a clear day you can see Worthing Pier so that's still two."

As dusk fell, debris from the fire was drifting out to sea and souvenir hunters started to arrive on the beach.

Yvonne Luna, 44, of Kings Esplanade, Hove, waded into the water to collect a charred plank of wood.

She said: "Because I draw, I am going to draw with the charcoal from this.

"The rest of it I will make into something or other. I have got lots of wood from when the first bit fell down."

Angus Kerr, 21, who lives on Brighton seafront, waded into the sea up to his chest to collect several planks.

He said: "I am going to make a mirror and picture frame. Most of it is burned beyond salvage."

Deborah Tedman, 46, an American who has lived in Peacehaven for two years, said: "If we had anything in the states like the West Pier, you can imagine how it would have been preserved.

"It would have been kept in pristine condition.

"Because you have so much like this, it becomes easy to lose sight of how precious it is. I find it unusual this was able to be lost."

Meanwhile, an anti-war demonstrator took the opportunity to hand out advertisements for a peace demonstration.

Security guards were deployed around the pier's entrance to keep the public away as a safety precaution.

Others on the seafront were concerned for the fate of the thousands of starlings who used to shelter in the pier and a pair of peregrine falcons who had a nest there.

Adrian Thomas, a spokesman for the RSPB in Brighton, said: "The peregrines are back at Sussex Heights this year, although they regularly used the end of the pier for roosting.

"The starlings use the West Pier as a winter roost and shelter and a few continue to use it in the summer.

"Some birds already use the Palace Pier so maybe others will move over there.

"I expect they will have a few nights of disruption and confusion and they might end up on the other pier."

Throughout the day and into the evening, hundreds of people sat on the beach gazing at the smouldering structure.

Brighton-born property developer Ted Ratcliffe, 47, from Patcham, said: "It's a very sad day for Brighton.

"I used to go on the pier when I was a boy and its just bad to see it end like this."

His partner, Chris Gargan, 41, from Hove, added: "It will mean the end of one of the most spectacular sights on the coast. Everyone is used to seeing the starlings flocking to roost on the remains at night."

Steve Malone, 49, of Upper Market Street, Hove, also came to the seafront when the pier's concert hall partially collapsed in January.

He said: "It is really sad. It is a symbol of the old Brighton. People just sat looking at it, feeling sad watching a piece of history happen."

Lesley Kite from Hove said: "I went on the pier when I was just a small girl.

"Seeing her being destroyed like this just makes me go cold. It's really sad. I wish she had been restored years ago."

Mary Hoare, 59, of Freshfield, Kemp Town, researched Fred Gray's book Walking On Water, about the history of the West Pier.

She said: "It is very sad to see it go when you know all about what went on in there."

However, one voice did not echo the sentiments.

Entertainer Brian Ralfe said: "I am glad to see it go.

"The West Pier died in 1975 and it is only now being cremated. It has been on the mortuary slab for 28 years. This will save money."

She has been through a lot, this once-proud and elegant iron lady of Brighton.

But yesterday, as her frail body, bent with age and battered by the elements, was engulfed in flames, many felt they were saying their final farewell.

Although there are those who believe she can still rise phoenix-like from the flames, for many, the pier we loved is lost for ever.

Those feelings were summed up by Roger Marlowe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Hotels Association:

"We have lost an old friend. I know it sounds a bit silly but I think we all loved her really."