'Flare duel' starts fire at Bovington army base Published duration 26 July 2016

image copyright Fill Your Bootz image caption The fire on the top floor of a seven-storey building took two hours to extinguish

A fire which damaged an army barracks was started by two officers duelling with flares to settle a disagreement, it has been claimed.

An army spokesman said one flare shot through an upper window of the building at Bovington Camp in Dorset on Friday, setting fire to a room and corridor.

The spokesman said the flare was fired from the area of an outdoor swimming pool, where the officers were reported to be duelling on kayaks.

The fire took two hours to extinguish.

image copyright Forces TV image caption An army spokesman said a room and a corridor were damaged

image copyright Forces TV image caption The Royal Military Police is investigating the incident, which followed a dinner to mark the end of training

The fire started after a dinner to mark the completion of training for prospective tank troop commanders.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at around midnight to a fire on the top floor of a seven-storey residential building.

Ten fire engines managed to put out the blaze by 02:00 BST and no one was injured.

Details were first revealed by the Forces TV channel which said the duelling officers fired flare guns at each other from kayaks in the pool outside Allenby Barracks.

The Royal Military Police is investigating.