Guests evacuated after tumble dryer fire at Blackpool hotel

Many residents were in the middle of eating their breakfast when the alarms sounded and were forced to make their way outside while a member of staff put out the fire.

The fire started in the laundry room of the Royal Boston Hotel on Queens Promenade in Bispham at around 8am this morning.

Many residents were in the middle of eating their breakfast when the alarms sounded and were forced to make their way outside while a member of staff put out the fire.

Hotel Manager Kelly Percival said: "We had a tumble dryer fire this morning.The dryer was checked several times overnight and had been switched off for over two hours when the fire started. The fire alarm went off at around 8am and when we checked the room we could see smoke.

"Guests were evacuated and all procedures were followed. One of our own members of staff quickly tackled the fire with an extinguisher. The dryer had a number of tea towels and cloths inside and the fire investigators have taken a sample for their investigations.

"It wasn't a major fire and we are of course, open for business as usual."

Crews from Bispham and Blackpool were called to incident at the 1930s hotel.

Watch Manager Tom Ashworth said: "Two fire engines and crews responded to an incident in which cloths in a commercial tumble dryer had set alight. The fire had extinguished before firefighters arrived. It had not spread beyond the dryer drum and firefighters used a water mist pack to damp down any smouldering residue.

"Unfortunately some residents were eating their breakfast at the time, but they were soon able to return to the dining room to enjoy their food."