As a huge orange and yellow ball of flames rose above Blackpool's Central Pier early on Friday morning, the Victorian pier widely described as 'one of the jewels in the resort's crown', was badly damaged.Ten fire appliances and 50 firefighters from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service were dispatched to the pier close to Blackpool Tower shortly after 3am and an investigation has begun into the cause of the blaze.Thankfully no-one was hurt, but it its another knock for a resort that's experienced so many over the years.The proud Lancashire town is slowly emerging from a national lockdown which has had a brutal impact on the visitor economy which is its lifeblood.Shut down since mid-March, it has had no pubs, restaurants or cafes open to draw.
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