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Large fire breaks out at Chester Zoo | Large fire breaks out at Chester Zoo |
(35 minutes later) | |
A large fire has broken out at Chester zoo, prompting the evacuation of visitors as firefighters attend to the blaze. | |
The zoo, which has closed for the day, said animals were also being moved away from the fire, which appears to be confined to one area within the popular Cheshire attraction. | |
“We can confirm that the fire brigade is attending a fire in our Monsoon Forest habitat,” the zoo said on Twitter. “Visitors have been evacuated and asked to leave the zoo as teams work to bring the situation under control.” | “We can confirm that the fire brigade is attending a fire in our Monsoon Forest habitat,” the zoo said on Twitter. “Visitors have been evacuated and asked to leave the zoo as teams work to bring the situation under control.” |
Fire at Chester Zoo - hope humans and animals evacuated safely - fire crews arriving on their scene. @CheshireLive pic.twitter.com/AI7R2ARANW | Fire at Chester Zoo - hope humans and animals evacuated safely - fire crews arriving on their scene. @CheshireLive pic.twitter.com/AI7R2ARANW |
The Monsoon Forest building is the largest indoor zoo exhibit in the UK, opening in 2015 after the completion of a £40m development project. It has an inflatable roof and is kept at a tropical, humid temperature of 26C by heaters to replicate conditions in south-east Asia. | |
It houses a number of animals including orangutans, gibbons, crocodiles, turtles and various insects. Overall, about 21,000 animals of 500 different species are housed at the zoo. | |
Huge plumes of smoke were seen billowing into the air from the building as emergency services, including fire engines and ambulances, rushed to the scene. | |
London zoo weigh-in – in pictures | |
Fire appliances have reportedly been drafted in from other services across the region and a mobile command centre has arrived to direct the operation. | |
Witnesses said the fire began at around 11.30am with strong wind causing it to rapidly spread. “There are fewer flames now and we’re all just hoping the animals and humans are OK,” said Rebecca Clough, 20, a medical student who lives opposite the zoo. | |
“I was doing photography in the islands section when staff started acting anxiously and rushing to each other, pointing at the Monsoon Forest,” said Frank Riding, an amateur photographer who was visiting the zoo. | |
“It was only moments later that crowds were directed out and staff told us to quickly and calmly leave the islands. I took that as to leave the zoo, but some people wandered to other parts of the zoo. At this point, smoke was billowing out of the building being carried by the wind.” | |
The north-west ambulance service told the Liverpool Echo that they were called at 11.42am and sent an ambulance and two rapid response vehicles to the scene. “They have now cleared and we had no patients to treat,” a spokeswoman said. | |
Chester zoo is believed to draw around two million visitors each year, making it the UK’s most visited zoo outside London. | |
Five animals, including an aardvark and four meerkats, died this time last year in a fire at London zoo which had to be tackled by 72 firefighters. | |
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