Charmouth: Fire rips through Newlands Holiday Park chalet (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)
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Charmouth: Fire rips through Newlands Holiday Park chalet
10:00am Thursday 31st May 2012 in Lyme Regis By Anne Bell
Firemen at the scene of the lodge fire at Newlands, Charmouth
A FAMILY returned after an afternoon on the beach at Charmouth to discover that the holiday chalet they were staying in had been badly damaged by fire.
Nobody was hurt in the blaze at the Newlands Holiday Park on Friday afternoon, but the family – a couple and their elderly parents, lost all their clothes and possessions in the blaze.
The holidaymakers from London are regular visitors to the holiday park and were left shocked and upset but thankful that nobody was injured.
They were provided with alternative accommodation and continued their holiday.
Four fire engines from Charmouth and Lyme Regis went to the site after the alarm was raised shortly before 4.30pm, reporting the fire in the pine-clad chalet. Firefighters using breathing apparatus tackled the blaze and had it under control within an hour and stopped it spreading to neighbouring chalets. A crew then spent another two hours damping down the structure.
It is believed that an electrical fault in an extractor fan caused the blaze to start.
Natalie Ireland, whose family own Newlands, spotted smoke coming from the chalet and immediately called emergency services.
“We had only had a fire drill on the Tuesday before and everything went according to plan.
“There was no panic, the staff were marvellous and the fire brigade were here within minutes.”
The immediate area of the chalet was cleared while the fire was put out but holidaymakers at the park continued to enjoy their holidays.
