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Small Fire at Pleasureland
Fire
THE old remains of the Southport Zoo, a
6 acre (2.4 ha) zoological garden, that closed in 2004, quickly fell into decay.
The land was then taken over by the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Company who closed
Pleasureland, in 2006. In 2008, Norman Wallis' Dreamstorm International
re-opened the park that had been left in a total mess by its former owners and
inherited the old zoo site. Since then Norman has had to focus on rebuilding
Pleasureland, which now employs more than 100 people, but the Zoo has remained
largely untouched. On Wednesday, 15 July 2015, a large cabin, which was located
on the furthest part of the North West side of the former Zoo, was alight. The
fire sent thick black smoke billowing high into the air and, at times, hanging
over the Marine Lake. Thanks to the low sun, this black smoke could be seen from
miles around. At one stage the flames could be seen easily though the trees that
separate the site and Princes Park, nearly setting fire to them. Southport Fire
Station confirmed that 2 Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service's Appliance attended
the site. No one was hurt in the incident, that we are aware of. The cause of
the blaze and the extent of any damage are as yet unknown or hasn't yet been
released to the media. Pleasureland has however said that the fire was on
"a disused part of the site" and "some distance from any rides."
They also added that:- "the fire did not and will not affect any
of the operations on the Park."
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