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Urgent meeting in Eastbourne to assess damage caused by fire

The Sussex seaside landmark has been badly damaged by fire. Today there's an urgent meeting taking place attended by the town's MP, Stephen Lloyd, and those affected by the devastating fire.

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Chief Fire Officer praises work at Eastbourne Pier fire

The Chief Fire Officer of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is praising firefighters and members of other emergency services and agencies for the response to the Eastbourne Pier fire.

As of 10pm, the incident is being scaled down. Around 30 firefighters are expected to stay at the scene overnight.

"This has been an extremely challenging incident. Our firefighters have worked very hard in difficult conditions to stop the fire from spreading. Sadly one building on the Pier is now a shell and other smaller buildings have been damaged but the remaining buildings on the pier are being protected. This couldn't have been achieved without the assistance of a number of other organisations, including the police, Coastguard and RNLI. This is obviously an upsetting incident for all those who love this landmark. We are thankful that there are no reported injuries and that firefighting operations continue, to try and ensure we save a large part of this iconic Pier."

– Chief Fire Officer Des Prichard

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

At the height of the incident 80 firefighters were at the scene. They attacked the fire from the shoreline, from the sea using lifeboats and from above using an aerial platform.

A further update will be posted around 7am tomorrow.

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