The fire at FoKAB’s storage premises has been described as one of the worst in the history of the preservation movement, reports Nick Larkin
Eight preserved vehicles were destroyed when fire engulfed the industrial unit where they were stored. The blaze, said to be one of, if not the, worst in the history of preservation, happened at a building in Hampshire occupied for many years by charity the Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB). It is believed to have started in a neighbouring unit. Emergency services were alerted after residents in the nearby village of Penton Mewsey heard the sound of exploding fuel tanks in the early hours of Friday 8 December.
FoKAB Chairman James Freeman described the fire as ‘an appalling disaster.’ He added: “Whilst it is fortunate that no-one was hurt, we now must come to terms with the loss of so many valuable, irreplaceable buses and coaches. We send our heartfelt sympathies to the owners who have lost their prized vehicles. It is difficult to come to terms with what has happened. It’s a shock. One moment you have these vehicles and then you don’t.”
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