The Myanmar Fire Brigade Headquarters will hold an opening ceremony of the Myanmar Fire Museum to commemorate Diamond Jubilee Union Day on the morning of 10 February in Yangon.
The Fire Museum will be open to the public with the purpose of increasing the desire of firefighters to systematically operate the fire engines/vehicles they are using with pride and preserving them as a historical heritage so that the public can learn about fire engines/vehicles and value them.
“Ancient fire engines which firefighters have used for generations will be displayed at the museum in front of the Fire Brigade Headquarters just as international fire brigades pay tribute to ancient fire engines, said Director of the Headquarters U Thein Tun Oo.
“It is an honour for our country because foreigners also have a special interest in ancient fire engines,” he continued.
“As this is the first fire museum in Myanmar, it is a matter of great pride for us to see the fruits of our collective cooperation under the guidance of the Union Minister for Home Affairs and the Director-General,” he added.
The Fire Museum will display some of the oldest firefighting vehicles/engines used in urban and rural areas for generations since colonial times.
Due to the historical catastrophic fire cases in the world such as the Great Fire of Rome in Italy and the New York Fire in the United States, fire-fighting equipment was invented. The first steam-powered fire engines were used in 1841, and fire engines were developed in the early 20th century.
The museum will display nine ancient fire engines, including the British-made Merryweather (Steam) and Merryweather (Petrol) fire engines, part of the world’s oldest class of fire-fighting vehicles, introduced to Myanmar in 1909 dubbed as the Fire King. — Nyein Thu (MNA)/GNLM
