news, latest-news

A fire that sent large plumes of smoke into the air and cut power to part of the National Zoo and Aquarium caused significant damage to sheds and equipment. Firefighting crews arrived to find two maintenance and machinery sheds alight when they responded to numerous triple zero calls about 12.10pm on Sunday. The buildings adjoined enclosures for the Yarralumla zoo's three lions and a tiger and covered an area of several hundred metres. Zoo owner Richard Tindale said staff fully evacuated the zoo and the Jamala Wildlife Lodge as soon as emergency services were alerted to the fire and it was closed for the rest of the day. "The fire was contained quickly enough to stop it spreading to the adjoining buildings which included six giraffe treehouses and two bungalows which are very close to that area," he said. "But more importantly they contained it quickly enough so that we didn't have any issues with animals, there were lions and tigers very close to the source of the fire so they were given access to their yards. "We took precautions just in case the fire did anything that could have affected the integrity of the mesh. The animals were all OK, there are no issues with them." No animals or staff were injured. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to get the fire under control and it was extinguished by 1.45pm. Firefighters mopped up the area to ensure there were not any remaining hot spots and a crew remained on scene overnight in case of any flare-ups. The shed roofs partially collapsed in the fire. An initial damage bill was estimated at several hundred thousands of dollars due to damaged infrastructure, equipment and supplies. A large plume of smoke rising from the zoo was visible across Canberra in the early afternoon. One observer on social media reported a "sudden plume of fire, taller than the trees". The ACT Emergency Services Agency had said firefighters initially evacuated the on-site hotel, bungalow and tree house accommodation facilities as a precaution, before the rest of the zoo was later shutdown. "Zoo staff are taking care of the animals nearby to ensure their safety and welfare," the agency said. Three fire pumpers, two fire tankers, the Bronto, breathing apparatus support crew and a commander were at the scene soon after the fire was reported. ACT Fire and Rescue Commander Brian Talbot said the fire was "very localised and intense" and firefighters had to manage significant risks including quantities of fuel, the proximity of nearby buildings, and welfare of the animals. He said the cause of the fire wasn't clear but there didn't appear to be any suspicious circumstances. "Fire and Rescue will be undertaking a full investigation to determine the exact nature and origin of the ignition source," he said. Mr Tindale said the zoo's main priority now was to get power restored to the area affected by fire to ensure electricity supply for food refrigeration, heat pads and heat lamps for the animals. "All the animals are OK, our food preparation area we think is OK, because that would be a concern. It will just be an inconvenience for us that we need to prepare for." "We've got a lot if big cats that eat a lot of meat, they're probably going through 70 or 80 kilograms of meat a day so we need to get those generators in to get those freezers working. The zoo was using its on-site generators and an electrician was there to inspect the area on Sunday afternoon. Mr Tindale expected power would be restored to the affected section of the zoo by Tuesday at the latest. Visitors to the wildlife lodge staying in rooms closest to the fire were given the option of refunds, another stay or hotel accommodation.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/3fc9175c-867f-4bcb-b770-1da909f8f724/r0_242_2000_1372_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg