Blackpool fire: Firefighters tackle large blaze at the derelict New Hacketts Hotel on Queen's Promenade yet again

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the New Hacketts Hotel on Monday afternoon (April 24) following reports of a fire at the abandoned property.

Local residents reported seeing large gusts of smoke from around 3pm onwards, and images sent to the Gazette show at least three fire engines and a large team of firefighters dealing with the flames.

A spokesman for the fire service said: “We are currently responding to a building fire on Queen’s Promenade and have 12 fire engines, two aerial ladder platforms, one stinger appliance and the drone team at this incident."

At 4pm, Blackpool Police also warned that Queens Promenade from the junction with King Edward Street and Holmefield Road and the Gynn Roundabout was closed due to the incident.

They added: “Please also be advised there is a heavy amount of smoke from this incident, please avoid this area where possible.”

Updating the public just after 7pm, Lancashire Fire and Rescue tweeted: “The fire is under control, however firefighting operations continue. Please avoid the area.

The hotel had suffered a fire only last month, when six fire engines from Blackpool, Bispham, South Shore, Fleetwood, St Annes and Fulwood along with the aerial ladder platform from Morecambe were called to a blaze shortly before 10pm on Saturday, March 11.

At the time, a Lancashire Police spokesman said the matter remained with Lancashire Fire and Rescue to conduct an investigation to establish cause of the fire, adding: “If it becomes suspicious then it’ll be passed to us – that hasn’t happened yet.”

Located on the corner of Queens Promenade and King Edward Avenue, New Hacketts Hotel closed in 2018 and since then has long suffered break-ins and attracted fly-tippers.

In the summer of 2020, its ground floor was boarded up by Blackpool Council following complaints from residents and hoteliers.

Earlier that year, it was the scene of a major blaze which spread across four floors and in December 2020, fire ripped through the upper part of the building,

In 2021, urban explorers took a look inside and found a hoard of hand sanitiser and abandoned mannequins.