The Australian team was hesitant to move in to the Olympic village when they first arrived in Rio, and opted for hotels until the remaining plumbing and electrical issues could be completed to their satisfaction.
After the Australian delegation made up with local officials (including giving the Mayor a toy kangaroo when he suggested that housing a kangaroo in the building might make the Australians more at home); and after the IOC asked that an Australian flag be removed from the building, only to eventually allow it after being assured that nobody was making money from it; the Australians finally moved in to their new housing.
That was until Friday evening, where what’s being described as a “small fire” caused the Australian team to evacuate their building.
The Australian Olympic Team sent out several Tweets on the matter, saying that there was a small fire in the basement of the building, that the cause of the fire is unknown, and that after being dealt with, the team was allowed back into the building.
Updated: the Australian Olympic Committee has put on a statement on the incident.
TEAM: At 4.40 pm a small fire broke out in rubbish in the underground car park of Building 23 in the Olympic Village causing smoke to rise through the building.
The AOC Emergency Response Plan was activated and approximately 100 athletes and officials were evacuated in an orderly and controlled fashion
The stairwells filled with smoke but the fire was confined to the carpark and no one was injured.
The fire was extinguished by the Fire Brigade and team members were allowed back into the building after about 30 minutes.
An investigation is underway involving Rio 2016 and the AOC.
There has been a small fire in the basement of the team building in the Olympic Village. All athletes and staff were evacuated and are fine
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) July 29, 2016
The cause of the fire is unknown and we have just been let back into the building
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) July 29, 2016
The fire brigade were quickly on the scene and the AOC's emergency management plan was put in place pic.twitter.com/NY0a0swduc
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) July 29, 2016
All athletes were safely evacuated and are now back in the building pic.twitter.com/d5P8APqgZK
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) July 29, 2016
McEvoy, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games are no place for your science experiments. I beg you to stop before someone gets hurt.
Kick the tires and Light the Fires !! And let the Games begin! Can… not… wait… !!
I thought the Aussies opted not to stay in the Olympic village due to unfinished rooms and unsafe conditions? After this, I dont blame them for wanting to go else where.
Wow someone really don’t like the Aussies in Brazil.. Water leakages, faulty electricity and now fires.. Things are heating up in Rio!! Who did Kitty Chiller p**s off?
“After the Australian delegation made up with local officials (including giving the Mayor a toy kangaroo when he suggested that housing a kangaroo in the building might make the Australians more at home); and after the IOC asked that an Australian flag be removed from the building, only to eventually allow it after being assured that nobody was making money from it;”
Wow. If this is the tenor of things to come, they are setting a bad precedent for future Olympic games. You can’t fly your national flag?! Whatever happened to the brotherhood of nations as the theme of Olympic unity, all nations being celebrated?
I mean, all the good sabotaging of Australian athletes is happening before I get down there and have a chance to. Kinda bummed.
Is it too soon to have Tokyo take the Games……..NOW?
I thought I’d read about a fire that affected Dutch athletes. Was that a separate incident (assuming I am remembering correctly)?
northernsue – there was a small fire last Saturday as well.