UPDATE: Historic hangar destroyed by fire
Though there is extensive and structural damage to the hangar, there were neither human injuries nor any fatalities.
The museum at the South African Air Force base at Swartkop in Pretoria is still open for business, despite a fire at the base over the weekend.
“The museum is open to the public and its operations are unaffected by the fire,” said South African National Defence Force (SANDF) spokesperson Brigadier General Hilton Smith.
This after an almost century-old hangar at the Swartkop air force base in Centurion was destroyed in a fire on Saturday. According to Smith, the hangar caught fire at around 05:00 on the day. The hangar was classified as a so-called “heritage structure” because the base was the first air force base established in the country.
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“It served as a general-purpose hangar,” he said.
“Although there was extensive and structural damage to the hangar, there were neither human injuries nor any fatalities.
“It did not house any aircraft or museum exhibitions. In fact, the hangar was far from the museum section and is part of a totally different group of hangars.” Smith said the cause of the fire was still unknown. “The base fire services and the Tshwane emergency services managed to extinguish the fire to prevent further damage to other vehicles and equipment,” Smith said.
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“The SANDF, with the support of the Tshwane emergency services, has launched a preliminary investigation to determine the cause and extent of the fire.
“The loss of the hangar is a major setback to the air force and the history of military aviation in the country.”
“Since 2012, SA Air Force Chief Lieutenant General Fabian Zimpande Msimang has initiated a programme to preserve and promote our air force history,” Smith said.
The SANDF expressed their gratitude to the Tshwane emergency services and Swartkop base fire services for their prompt response on Saturday.
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