The Skegness Standard 8th February 1939

Photograph by Mr F J Soar of Mablethorpe

Two Suspicious Fires at Skegness Butlin’s Holiday Camp

Fire broke out in the dance hall of Butlins holiday camp in 1939.

The siren was sounded at Skegness Town Hall 6.20pm on the fatal evening and “there was the usual wild rush to the fire station”. (Both the town hall and the fire station were located on Roman Bank in the 1930s).

On hearing the news that there was a fire at Butlins, flocks of sightseers, in cars and on foot, stampeded along Roman Bank in the direction of the spectacle. A huge glow on the horizon promised their reward for the two mile trek.

Just four days after this blaze, yet another fire broke out at Butlins. Mr Billy Butlin was in Paris when he was told the news. He declared that it was a second malicious attempt to destroy the holiday camp……

SKEGNESS HOLIDAY CROWDS WATCH HUGE NIGHT BLAZE

CINEMA ORGAN AND MILK BAR DESTROYED

130,000 DAMAGE ESTIMATED DAMAGE VARIOUSLY ESTIMATED AT BETWEEN £30,000 AND £60,000 WAS DONE BY A FIRE WHICH BROKE OUT IN THE HUGE DANCE HALL AT BUTLIN’S HOLIDAY CAMP, JUST OUTSIDE THE SKEGNESS URBAN BOUNDARY, ON MONDAY EVENING LAST.

THE FIRE, WHICH, OWING TO THE VAST QUANTITY OF INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL UPON WHICH IT HAD TO FEED, SPREAD KITH AMAZING RAPIDITY, WAS THE MOST SPECTACULAR AND FIERCEST BLAZE EVER WITNESSED IN SKEGNESS OR THE ,VICINITY. IT COULD BE SEEN LIGHTING THE NIGHT SKY WITH 4 DULL RED GLOW FROM AS FAR AWAY AS SPILSBY

Thousands of people living in a wide neighbourhood watched the flames and speculated upon the extent of the Holiday Camp which was involved.

When the siren at Skegness Town Hall sent forth its piercing note about 0.20 p.m, there was the usual wild rush to the fire station, and on the tidings that the fire was located at Butlin’s Holiday Camp, there ensued a stampede in that direction which Was reminiscent of the “gold rush” scenes depicted on the films !

Hundreds of cars continuously “hooted” their way along the Roman Bank, supplemented by an army of cyclists of both sexes and what appeared to be thousands of pedestrians of all ages. As the latter reached the more open country just past the laundry their steps were quickened by the red glow in the sky and the knowledge that their “trek” of over two miles would not be fruitless from a sight-seeing view-point.

A REMARKABLE SCENE.

The scene on the long stretch of Roman Bank which fronts the Camp was a truly remarkable one.

Second Fire

THREE LOUD EXPLOSIONS

HEARD

MR, BUTLIN’S STATEMENT ON

ALLEGED MALICE

DAMAGE KITCHENS AND

STORES DESTROYED

HIS IS THE SECOND MALICIOUS ATTEMPT TO DESTROY THE HOLIDAY CAMP. IT HAS FAILED.”MR

. W. E. BUTLIN MADE THE FOREGOING ALLEGATION ON SATURDAY NIGHT OVER THE TELEPHONE FROM AN HOTEL IN PARIS, WHERE HE WAS STAYING, FOLLOWING THE SECOND OUTBREAK OF FIRE AT THE COMPANY’S SKEGNESS HOLIDAY CAMP , WITHIN THE SPACE OF FOUR DAYS.

The first fire Occurred on Monday evening of last week, and when, on Saturday morning, Ole majority of townspeople were aroused from sleep by the fire siren, many of them at first refused to credit the tidings that another large hall at the Holiday Camp was ablaze. .

In the circumstances tongues were soon wagging furiously and credence was lent to the general belief that some mysterious agency was at work by the assertion in more than one responsible quarter that the outbreak, was preceded by three loud explosions.

” To. my mind, it was a deliberate job,” he added.

THREE EXPLOSIONS.

Other residents in the vicinity of the camp also testify to hearing three explosions, as do members of the night watch men’s staff who had just gone off duty when the explosions occurred.

AN ANONYMOUS LETTER!

It transpired later in the day that an anonymous letter was received at the Skegness headquarters of Butlin’s, Ltd., -on Saturday morning. This was handed to the local Superintendent of Police. A representative of the firm told a reporter: ” It said something about a fire but most likely it meant the previous fire.”

Mr. W. E, Butlin, managing director. was in France on the occasion of this second fire, and Mr. E. Newsome, the general manager, was also out of town. Mr. Butlin returned to Skegness during the week-end.

It is understood that

yesterday (Tues-

day) the fire-fighting equipment at the camp was augmented by further modern appliances.

KITCHENS DESTROYED.

The fire broke out in the kitchen section of the North Hall—the Previous outbreak was in the South Hall —and did damage estimated at £20,000.

GUARD INCREASED.

Following the fire the day and night guard at the camp was greatly increased and a large staff now patrols the premises throughout the 24 hours. There is also an adequate patrolling guard at the Amusement Park and at , Butlin

House. Similar precautions have been taken at the Clacton camp and at the Company’s amusement parks in various parts of the country.

The night guard at the Skegness Camp is under the direction of the camp manager, Mr. M. W. Richings, and the day

guard under the assistant manager, Mr. F. Moon.

Fire assessors were at the camp throughout

Sunday, and. we are in formed that directly these have completed their work. re–building will be commenced and pushed for ward with all possible speed. All the destroyed equipment. etc., it is asserted, is easily replaceable

ONE OF THE RUMOURS!

As indicating the “innings” which Dame Rumour has had recently, practically everyone in Skegness heard yesterday that next fire at the Holiday Camp was due to occur at 7 o’clock that night! And several people made it their business to be outdoors at that hour in order to hear the buzzer !