40 firefighters attended the town blaze
DISAPPOINTED nightclub goers faced months without Hinckley’s Bubbles after a fire caused over £40,000 worth of damage in June 1986
Here is the report from The Hinckley Times from back then:
The fire damaged the dance floor area, kitchens and toilets but a closer inspection revealed that supporting beams were also badly affected.
Now club owners Mecca must foot a massive repair bill and special events including the visit of EastEnders stars Dirty Den and Wicksie, have had to be cancelled.
Firemen from Hinckley, Nuneaton and Leicester fought the blaze which started at 4.45pm on Friday, just hours before the club would be packed with hundreds of people.
But Mecca area manager Mr Peter Biddle calmed fears that a later fire could have caused a disaster.
He said: “We have strict fire limits and people could all be evacuated.”
The only people in the club at the time were manager Mr David Morgan and an electrician carrying out routine repair work.
Mr Bryan Houghton of Hinckley Dry Cleaners alerted the Fire Brigade when he smelt burning and saw flames in the covered area next tot the club.
Around 40 firemen tackled the fire and quickly brought it under control using breathing apparatus to combat the effects of the thick, black smoke.
The fire started in rubbish in the area and penetrated through the ceiling and into the club.
Senior Divisional Officer John Sillitoe said: “The fire damage in the club was minimal but the smoke-logging was intense. Considering what could have happened it was minor.”
The Bounty public house was also affected. Smoke poured in through a fire exit shared by the pub and Bubbles but they were able to open for business as usual.
The cause of the fire is still a mystery. Fire chiefs and police said that there was nothing to point to accident or malice.
A spokesman for Mecca said that the repair bill would run into several tens of thousands of pounds and that the club would be shut for over a month.
He added that plans were being made for a special launch to re-open the club. “We’re going to make sure people know we’re open,” he said.