The World - News from April 27, 1988

Fire destroyed a hangar at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s biggest military storage depot, touching off a major asbestos dust alert over a wide area of northwest England. The blaze at the Central Ordnance Depot at Donnington, 145 miles northwest of London, destroyed vehicles, technical equipment and the 430,570-square-foot Bravo 1 hangar. Donnington officials said the smoke rained asbestos dust on the town and surrounding farmlands as far as the Welsh border, and residents were warned to stay inside and keep doors and windows shut. Officials said it was too early to assess damage.