SERIOUS LOSS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 127, 10 March 1945, Page 3

SERIOUS LOSS

BURNING OF ARMY STORES.

OIG BLAZE AT PALMERSTON,

CORONER’S INQUIRY OPENED « o (P.A.) PALMERSTON N., Mar. 9. A Coroner’s inquiry into the circumstances of the fire at the showgrounds camp on the night of December 31, when a huge quantity of Army stores was destroyed, opened with Mr IT. P. La wry, S.M., presiding. Detective F. V. Quin is conducting proceedings for the police, Mr IT. M. Cooper is appearing for the Army Department and Mr .T. P. Junes is watching proceedings for the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, owners of the buildings. Outlining the evidence to be called, Detective Quin said it was intended to show that on the evening of December 31 a small Are was discovered in the cookhouse next to the Army ordnance store. This was put out. About an hour later a major fire broke out in the ordnance store. This eventually destroyed the store and the administrative building next. door.

Captain F. L-. McKenzie, administrative officer, said that standing orders were issued for the camp regarding security precautions. In conjunction with these were also orders for the guard responsible for patrolling the camp to keep watch for fire and prevent unauthorised interference with property. These orders were effective at the time of the fire.

During the holiday period, a special set of orders was issued, because of the number of men being on leave. The usual patrols, it was emphasised, had to be maintained and every precaution taken against fire risk. The orders covered the entire camp, but referred only to the outside of ordnance stores. Administration inside the store was the responsibility of the ordnance officer. Full patrols had to be maintained.

In reply to the Coroner, Captain McKenzie said the patrol of the cookhouse w r as the responsibility of the guard. Two Nightwatchmen. Captain W. S. Keegan, officer commanding the ordnance depot, gave evidence that two nightwatchmen were maintained in the ordnance store, one being on duty at a time. Fire equipment in the store consisted of buckets, bucket pumps, hoses, and extinguishers. In the store were tools, spare parts, and expended stores. The other part of the area (No. 3) consisted of camp fittings, crockery, etc. In area No. 4 were practically every type of Army stores required. All of this was under his command, and assessing of the loss of stores was his responsibility, also of the amount of the salvage. He had not yet arrived at the final figures but expected to have them in a. week or two. The witness was not in camp on. the night of the fire, being on leave.

In reply to Mr Cooper, the witness detailed the night watchman’s hours and duties. A register was kept recording the times of inspection and any unusual occurrence. The register which was in use at the time was destroyed in the fire.

In addition to routine orders, a noncommissioned officer on duty kept check on the nightwatchman. The lattev was on duty in the store, which was kept locked. To obtain admittance the officer on duty had to ring a bell. He could not get in if the niglitwatchman was not there’ Stores were stacked according to orders. Inflammable goods generally were in heaps so as to form fire-breaks. In addition, non-inflammable goods were used to form fire-bvealts. This had been approved by the superintendent of the fire brigade, whose advice was always sought. Under the advice of the superintendent, every possible precaution was taken against fire and his recommendations adopted.

inflammable Goods

In reply to Detective Quin, the witness said he would have preferred to have had inflammable goods stored in another building. Turpentine and kerosene were kept in steel drums. Attempts had been made to obtain a place in which to store volatile goods, but he was unable to do so until a certain military formation was changed. This took place towards the end of 1943. None of the buildings which then became available was suitable for storing inflammable goods. The store containing expended goods had a concrete floor and iron walls.

In reply to Mr Cooper, witness said there was no danger of oil soakage setting up spontoneous combustion. There was a day-by-day inspection and smoking was absolutely prohibited. To witness’s knowledge ibis was observed.

To the Coroner, witness said there was no petrol in the store. It would not have been practicable to shift volatile stores to the section occupied by the motor transport unit on the other side of the camp. The installation of automatic fire alarms had not been considered. Witness thought that the building the Ordnance Depot, occupied was, in any case. a. temporary depot, thus the question of automatic alarms was ruled out.

Sergeant W. C. Luff man, senior noncommissioned officer of the showgrounds guard, said he was on duty on the evening of December 31. About 9.30 he made a patrol and saw nothing wrong. At 10.30 p.m. when on another patrol, he found the bottom of the copper in the men’s cookhouse red-hot. A piece of wood on the wall had been ignited. The gas under the copper was alight. The wood, which was glowing, was on a corrugated iron wall and was used to hold a canopy over the coppers. Witness turned the gas off and went to the main gate, then instructing Private Wagstaff to accompany him to the men’s cookhouse. They took a stirrup pump and directed a stream of water on the burning timber. They were satisfied they had put the fire out. Private Wagstaff filled the copper with cold water. Witness felt the iron around the site of the fire and it was quite cold. The stirrup pump was refilled and left near the copper as a natural precaution against a repetition. Witness returned with Private Wagstaff to the guardhouse and tried to communicate with the ordnance nightwatchman, but did not receive a reply on the telephone. He did not notify

an officer in camp—Lieutenant Smith, who was railway transport officer—nor the fire brigade, as lie was fully satisfied the fire was out. He went on another tour of inspection and got. back to the main gate about 11.35 p.m. Privates Wagstaff and Collins, the latter the ordnance nightwatchman, v ei e there. Witness instructed Private Collins to make a tour of the ordnance area and told him to examine the wa opposite where the fire had been. Private Collins left immediately to make an inspection. Witness went back to the kitchen. Conditions there were normal, there being no sign of fire. Satisfied that all was well, witness went hack to the guard house, reaching there about 11.50 or 11.55 p.m. Collins reached there at the same time and reported that everything was correct. Neither witness nor Privates Wagstaff and Collins had had any liquor. All three were capable of doing their duty efficiently. They waited at the guard house for about 10 minutes, waiting for the usual noise and hullabaloo” of New Year’s Eve at midnight. Witness thought he would contribute to this hy blowing the hooter at the gate. Apparently this was the only hooter or siren which went off. He did not hear any others. Alarms Out of Order. He went outside the guard hut and saw it “glow in the sky near the ordnance depot.” He was not sme rit was from the ordnance, but he lushed into the guard house to telephone the five brigade. He received no iepl>. There were two alarms in the camp connected with the fire station, these being of the street alarm type. They were both out of order. Privates Co,lins and Wagstaff vanished from the guard room when witness shouted “Fire!” Thinking he might, have dialled the wrong number, lie dialled again and,, when doing so, heard the siren of a fire-engine coming. One engine came at first, going to the fine which was just beyond the cookhouse. The building beyond the cookhouse (an ordnance store) was well alight. Flame was breaking through the roof. This was back from the cookhouse. Ho had no idea of the cause of the fire. He did not connect it. with the previous outbreak. He bad not seen or heard of any unauthorised persons in the camp. There was no tampering with the buildings, gates or fences to his knowledge. ' Private. C. F. Wagstaff said: “I ran my fingers over the piece of wood to make sure no sparks were left. I am certain the fire was out.” Private J. H. Collins, ordnance nightwatchman, said the clothing portion of the store, which was adjacent to the cookhouse, vtas enclosed and the door locked so that the watchmen could neither enter nor see inside. When told that the cookhouse was on fire, he went to see if everything was all right on the ordnance side. He inspected a corner of the adjacent storeroom at a spot lie nov. knew to be 25 feet from the spot opposite the copper in the cookhouse. The inquiry was adjourned t . March 22.