Walter Finch
A BEACH restaurant on the Costa del Sol caught fire and burned down in front of the eyes of it stunned owners on Thursday afternoon.
Witnesses said that workmen were sealing the roof of Bikini Beach Bar and Lounge with blow torches when it caught alight.
The popular eatery, a mainstay of the Estepona beachfront since 2012, became engulfed in flames around 15.30 in the afternoon.
There were no customers inside the French-Belgian-owned restaurant as it was closed for final renovations before the start of the summer season.
The workmen and business owners managed to get out before anyone was hurt.
The owner, who was watching on in devastated horror, told the Olive Press that the fire had been started because of the renovations.
Bystanders gathered to watch the unfolding disaster from both the sand and the surrounding promenade as police and firefighters appeared on the scene.
“We saw a little smoke at first as we were strolling along the paseo from the port,” Pere Hansom, 64, from Sweden, and Angela Marques, 63, from Spain, told the Olive Press.
“Things were smouldering but it didn’t look so bad, but then huge flames started to erupt and we knew it was really serious.
“Suddenly there was a loud bang and then it really took off.”
The workmen told the Olive Press at the scene that they smelled something strange from the roof before the flames caught hold.
Two huge water cannons were brought to bear on the raging inferno and appeared to limit the flames to just the central building.
Just as firefighters appeared to have it under control, sudden strong winds from the west reignited it and the outer structures soon succumbed to the flames.
The loss will come particularly hard for the owners as it was due to reopen for the coming summer tourist season in a matter of days.
READ MORE:
- Junta blames DOLPHINS for hundreds of dead fish washed up in Spain’s Estepona
- Monty Don visits Estepona: BBC’s famous gardener admires the town’s ‘ambitious’ floral project
- Furious shop owner says she was almost killed when her building collapsed in Spain’s Estepona – as she blasts…
