Firefighters reveal “terrifying truth” of under-resourced Fire Service in Albion hotel fire response

• Second fire breaks out in Albion Hotel, Brighton a week after initial blaze
• East Sussex and surrounding areas left without adequate fire cover following initial incident as crews scrambled
• Comparison with 1998 fire in the same building reveals large-scale cuts to fire service, putting lives and homes at risk

As the demolition of the fire-ravaged Albion hotel in Brighton was underway following the initial blaze last week, a second fire today broke out in the building.

The Fire Brigades Union has condemned cuts to the fire service which have left firefighters and the public at risk.

A fire at the 200-year-old seafront hotel was first reported around 17.30 on Saturday July 15, and firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night. 15 fire engines attended the scene, with crews in fire engines drafted in from London, Surrey, Kent, West and East Sussex to tackle the large fire.

In 1998, a similar large-scale fire at the Albion hotel building was attended by 24 fire engines. Nine fewer fire engines attended the scene in 2023.

The response last weekend meant that East Sussex and surrounding areas were left without adequate fire cover as the Fire Service scrambled to deal with the blaze.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has lost nearly 140 frontline firefighters and control room staff to cuts since 2010. As a result, firefighters were forced to work under extreme and unsafe conditions at the scene.

Reported conditions include 13-hour shifts, female firefighters having to use buckets due to a lack of basic welfare facilities, and no facilities for decontamination to protect against the risk of cancer.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:

“We are witnessing the disastrous impact of over a decade of cuts to our fire service. Since 2010, one in five firefighter jobs have been lost across the UK. An unprecedented number of appliances have been lost and fire stations closed. These cuts have left the fire service unprepared and are putting lives and homes at risk.

“Ministers and chief fire officers talk about resilience, but you cannot have adequate resilience without having enough firefighters on the frontline – and that means proper funding and investment.”

Joe Weir, Fire Brigades Union Executive Council representative for the South East, said:

“Firefighters worked under exhausting, appalling and unsafe conditions on the night of the initial fire, doing everything they could despite being stretched to near breaking point.

“Had there been another incident of a similar size, there would not have been enough firefighters available to put it out and the fire service would have been unable to cope. We simply do not have enough resources. That is the terrifying truth.

“Our service had to request fire engines from neighbouring regions, who were unable to provide the number needed because of cuts to their services. This is no way to run a service that saves lives and homes. We need urgent investment now.”