Part of the Royal Albion Hotel is to be demolished so that fire crews can better reach the blaze which is still not out.
But more than 24 hours after the fire started at the Brighton seafront hotel, there are also safety concerns, notably that the building could collapse.
It has also been revealed that not everyone is accounted for.
No casualties have been reported and the building was believed to have been successfully evacuated although this has yet to be confirmed.
The fire service is hoping for a controlled demolition as it tries to stop the fire spreading from the old part of the hotel to the newer part.
But the fire, which appeared to start on the third floor, has spread to the first floor and gutted much of the old part of the hotel.
The windy conditions fanned the fire and hampered efforts to tackle the blaze.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is liaising with Brighton and Hove City Council and Sussex Police about the proposed demolition.
The road by the hotel is currently closed and looks unlikely to reopen until tomorrow (Monday 17 July) at the earliest.
At 5pm, the fire service said: “Six fire appliances and two aerial ladder platforms remain on the scene.
“Firefighters are concentrating their efforts on extinguishing the fire on the west wing of the building.
“Road closures are currently being reviewed.”
With Western Road still closed for a revamp, the council has fewer options than usual.
How incredibly sad that this beautiful hotel is so badly damaged I first going to Brighton in the mid 70s and immediately fell in love with the place even staying in this iconic hotel
Lets hope it can be saved
All those ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’s’ to locate. How embarrassing 😄
Don’t forget the John and Joan Does.
Lovely hotel?, sadly its been a dump for years.
I wouldn’t call it a “dump”. Like a lot of listed and majestic buildings, it’s a struggle for hotels to maintain them sympathetically. I recognise what you’re saying, but, sadly, it needed a lot of money pumping in to it.
I just hope the people who haven’t been accounted for haven’t burned alive in the building