Fire alert closes museum

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 574, 21 February 1995, Page 7

Fire alert closes museum

By

Michele

Monaghan

The Army museum in Waiouru had "a bit of excitement" last Thursday with not one, but two fires. In the morning a jumbo bin caught fire, but was safely put out with no disruption to the public. Around 1 pm a second fire was noticed on the steps between the second and third floors of the museum. It is thought the fire was caused by welding sparks jumping on to some hessian board. "I had two people with me looking at a prisoner of wardisplay," saidCorporal Cathy Walker. "The lady with me said I don' t kno w if I'm dreaming but I'm sure there' s a fire. I looked and saw the flames and saw Staff Wilson with the hose." Staff Sergeant Graham Wilson successfully put out the fire with the fire hose although the fire brigade was still required to carry out a check of the buildings, said Cpl Walker. "They did the whole shebang, climbing through the roof checking everything

was secure and that no sparks had caught fire." Cpl Walker said the museum was evacuated and

closed to the public for the rest of the day , but was open for business as usual on the Friday.

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