Weird News

[Carruthers]

Two officers attempting to settle a disagreement by duelling with flares at a British Army base have set fire to the officers mess, according to Forces TV sources.

The officers decided the solution to their argument was to each take a kayak into the swimming pool and fire flare guns at each other at the Allenby Barracks in Bovington on Friday night.

One of the flares managed to set the seven-story building alight.

Unfortunately, when personnel tried to put out the fire, sources said the base’s fire hoses had been shut off due to fears over Legionnaires disease following an outbreak on the base in January.

They attempted to put the fire out with CO2 fire extinguisher but after failing were forced to call the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service just before midnight.

Ten fire crews arrived at the base from across the county to tackle the blaze which was on the top floor, although not all were needed.

Sources at the base said the fire service used water from the swimming pool, emptying it as they tackled the fire.

They said the building was unusable and the ground floor remained underwater.

Louise Knox, Media Communications Manager for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire was put out by 1:50am and the cause of the fire “remains under investigation”.

A British Army spokesperson said:

“We can confirm a fire occurred on Friday evening at Bovington Camp, Dorset Fire & Rescue attended the fire. There was some damage but no one was injured, while an investigation is taking place it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Army, RAF and RN officers are known for their 'creativity' when it comes to making their own entertainment.
The longer the evening goes on, the more 'creative' the entertainment becomes, except in this case when it became destructive.
I imagine that this will result in more than an uncomfortable 'hats on interview without tea and bickies'.
I couldn't upload the images in the story as the file sizes are too big, but you can see them for yourself here: Link.