Fire at National Motorcycle Museum
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/3114410.stm
About 650 of the 900 or so bikes have been destroyed. What a shame. I'm sure a lot of them would be irreplaceable.
About 650 of the 900 or so bikes have been destroyed. What a shame. I'm sure a lot of them would be irreplaceable.
Fcuk, now that is bad!!
Maybe some can be salvaged..? Wonder if any private collections may be able to help?
Damn shame - am part way through Murray Walkers Auobiography and its great to learn about the good times the UK bike industry once had! Shame not to be abe to show people the fruits of this....
Maybe some can be salvaged..? Wonder if any private collections may be able to help?
Damn shame - am part way through Murray Walkers Auobiography and its great to learn about the good times the UK bike industry once had! Shame not to be abe to show people the fruits of this....
Motorcycle museum blaze 'caused by discarded cigarette'
A fire which destroyed 400 exhibits at Britain's National Motorcycle Museum is likely to have been started accidentally by a discarded cigarette, according to officials.
Fire investigators believe a member of staff may have thrown away a cigarette outside the building at Bickenhill, near Birmingham, which set fire to a nearby small pile of cardboard boxes, leading to yesterday's massive blaze.
Hundreds of vintage motorbikes, many of them irreplaceable, were completely destroyed in the fire, which caused an estimated £8 million of damage.
Assistant Divisional Officer Dave Glenis, of West Midlands Fire Service, said investigators were confident that the fire had started in boxes containing discarded air conditioning filters.
Mr Glenis said: "These were outside the building, to the side, and it is also an area where staff can go to smoke. We think somebody put out a cigarette which was not completely extinguished, and which may have blown on to these boxes."
Mr Glenis added: "We are not treating the incident as arson at this stage and believe it was purely an accident."
A fire which destroyed 400 exhibits at Britain's National Motorcycle Museum is likely to have been started accidentally by a discarded cigarette, according to officials.
Fire investigators believe a member of staff may have thrown away a cigarette outside the building at Bickenhill, near Birmingham, which set fire to a nearby small pile of cardboard boxes, leading to yesterday's massive blaze.
Hundreds of vintage motorbikes, many of them irreplaceable, were completely destroyed in the fire, which caused an estimated £8 million of damage.
Assistant Divisional Officer Dave Glenis, of West Midlands Fire Service, said investigators were confident that the fire had started in boxes containing discarded air conditioning filters.
Mr Glenis said: "These were outside the building, to the side, and it is also an area where staff can go to smoke. We think somebody put out a cigarette which was not completely extinguished, and which may have blown on to these boxes."
Mr Glenis added: "We are not treating the incident as arson at this stage and believe it was purely an accident."
Terrible news.
I've visited the Museum several times for conferences, especially during it's early days and it has been a remarkable collection. Gut-wrenching to think of all the hard work gone into that place.
It's difficult to remember, however, that despite being "irreplacable" in many cases they were "only" pieces of machinery - the loss does not compare with loss of life or other tragedy.
If anything the tragedy is that so many beautiful machines were locked up in a museum. Every one that was lovingly made was designed to be ridden and used and for every hundred on static display it is a pleasure to see just one out on the roads tasting the freedom that it deserves.
Just my view - still sorry to see the loss
I've visited the Museum several times for conferences, especially during it's early days and it has been a remarkable collection. Gut-wrenching to think of all the hard work gone into that place.
It's difficult to remember, however, that despite being "irreplacable" in many cases they were "only" pieces of machinery - the loss does not compare with loss of life or other tragedy.
If anything the tragedy is that so many beautiful machines were locked up in a museum. Every one that was lovingly made was designed to be ridden and used and for every hundred on static display it is a pleasure to see just one out on the roads tasting the freedom that it deserves.
Just my view - still sorry to see the loss
Very sad - drove past it this morning on my way to work - about half of the complex is destroyed.
Two points come to mind though....as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, surely a half decent sprinkler system would have knocked it on the head? Secondly, I was watching the local news as the story broke, and there only seemed to be about 5 firemen tackling the blaze with the rest giving interviews to massed ranks of journalists. Surely their time would have been better spent elsewhere?
Two points come to mind though....as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, surely a half decent sprinkler system would have knocked it on the head? Secondly, I was watching the local news as the story broke, and there only seemed to be about 5 firemen tackling the blaze with the rest giving interviews to massed ranks of journalists. Surely their time would have been better spent elsewhere?
Disastrous news!
Am I the only one questioning the seeming lack of duty of care by the custodians towards such historic machines? True enthusiasts would consider them to be national treasures!
It would appear on first inspection that there should have been afforded a greater degree of protection ....I'd question building design, fire protection systems, etc. (...and ref Mrs Fishs's contribution) I'd also question the location set aside for smokers!
Am I the only one questioning the seeming lack of duty of care by the custodians towards such historic machines? True enthusiasts would consider them to be national treasures!
It would appear on first inspection that there should have been afforded a greater degree of protection ....I'd question building design, fire protection systems, etc. (...and ref Mrs Fishs's contribution) I'd also question the location set aside for smokers!
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