Fire delays flights at Wellington airport

[Justin L]

WLG was evacuated earlier today due to a fire in the main terminal.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/fire...351135361.html

Fire delays flights at Wellington airport
Matt Calman
October 20, 2008 - 3:41PM

Flights in and out of Wellington were delayed for nearly two hours this afternoon following a fire in the airport's main terminal.

Fire communications shift manager Mike Wanoa said six fire engines were sent to support the airport's fire crew at around 2pm.

Wellington senior station officer Paul Lyall said the fire started in the upper level of the main terminal near the departure lounge. Smoke was seen emerging near the terminal's escalator.

A witness said hundreds of people had been evacuated.

Around 18 flights were delayed during the closure, airport spokeswoman Louise Murray said.

The fire was contained by 2.30pm and the main terminal had reopened to passengers around 3.30pm.

A backlog was currently being cleared with a delay of around 30 minutes to most flights.

"There was a small fire that was able to be contained in the main terminal. I don't know haw many people were in the terminal [but] the fire's out and we're waiting for the all clear."

Fire crew had to clean-up water damage from sprinklers, which were activated by the electrical fire, before the terminal could re-open.

Qantas said the fire had nothing to do with, following initial media reports that the fire broke out inside the Qantas lounge.

"It has got nothing to do with Qantas ... There certainly was no fire at any Qantas facility,'' a spokeswoman for the airline said.

Its proximity to the escalator was likely the reason that early media reports said the fire had occurred in the Qantas lounge, he said.

The Dominion Post with AAP