Worthing wood pile set alight

Arsonists have torched a 20-metre high pile of wood on Worthing seafront.

Firefighters were called to the seafront at Marine Parade shortly after 2.30am today (Sunday, February 17).

All the wood washed ashore from the Ice Prince had been broken down in to smaller piles of timber and the firefighters concentrated their efforts on preventing the fire spreading to adjacent wood piles and nearby beach huts.

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The fire crews were helped by an offshore breeze which reduced the threat of the fire spreading, used seven firefighting jets and were assisted by a contractor using a mechanical digger to break up the wood pile.

The fire is being treated as arson, and Incident Commander Dave Howells asked for anyone with information to contact police.

"Although this might be seen as just a large bonfire on a beach, it has tied up our resources for several hours when they could have been needed elsewhere for a more life-threatening emergency," he said.

Work had begun last week to chip the planks of wood on Worthing's beach which will then be used for bio-fuel.

The burning pile has now been reduced to roughly 25 per cent of its original size.

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