08
Apr
Ripon's Big Sky Wheel is back in action following fire incident
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Ripon's Big Sky Wheel is back in operation this morning following the installation of a replacement generator.
The 33-metre-high wheel on Market Place South was temporarily closed yesterday afternoon following a fire that started when a loose piece of insulation entered the exhaust of the original generator.
The first to board the wheel this morning were brothers Sam and Jax, who travelled to Ripon from Rainton with their parents, Garry and Sherri Broadwith.
Mr Broadwith told the Stray Ferret:
We are pleased to see that no damage has been caused by yesterday's fire and we have been able to treat our sons to a ride on the wheel.
Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst, with the Sky Wheel's owner and operator Walter Murphy
The giant attraction, which opened to the public on Saturday provides spectacular high-rise panoramic views of Ripon and beyond, was brought to the city by Ripon Business Improvement District, with support from North Yorkshire Council.
In a brief statement about yesterday afternoon's incident, a North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, said:
A crew from Ripon attended reports of a fire to a generator. The fire had been extinguished using a bucket of water prior to the crew's arrival. They carried out an inspection only.
The replacement generator (pictured) was installed last night
Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst said:
The fire was quickly brought under control, no harm was caused and I'm pleased to see that the wheel is back in operation this morning.
It will be here throughout the Easter holiday, up until Sunday, April 27 and will be open daily from 11am to 7pm.
Walter Murphy, who owns and operates the wheel, added:
There was no fault with the generator and no damage was caused to it by the fire, but we decided as a precaution to replace it to give users of the wheel peace of mind.
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