Montecillo fire contained

Fire Service personnel at Montecillo Veterans Home and Hospital in South Dunedin after being called to a small fire yesterday morning.

The alarm was raised about 11am. Senior Station Officer Pete Douglas said firefighters first thought the fire was in the kitchen, but the smoke was found to be coming from a sluice machine nearby.

Part of the machine had come apart and generated a large amount of smoke.

Closed doors prevented smoke from spreading throughout the building, he said. Residents were not evacuated because the fire was contained to the area.

By Samuel White.