LOSS BY FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 221, 18 September 1930, Page 8

LOSS BY FIRE.

DOMINION TOTAL, £1,230,255.

ANNUAL REPORT ON BRIGADES

MAIN CAUSES ANALYSED. ■ - -V- • V, ' ■

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

The annual report on the fire brigades of the Dominion contains particulars of .fire calls' received throughout 50 fire districts; during the twelve mdnthsthat elided March 31, 1930., They totalled 3164, an increase of .118 over the number in the previous twelve months.* Of the total niiniber 1351 were property, fires, 435 chimney fires, 573 bush, grass and rubbteh fires, 717 false alarms and 88 out of the district.

The fire lass throughout the fire districts for- the twelve mouths : (all losses quoted unless otherwise stated include loss sustained on.both insured and noninsured property) amounted to £410,217. The total fire loss for the'whole Dominion was. £1,230,255. .

The four'heaviest district losses.occur-' red in Wellington' (£102,803),- Christchurch (£64,912), Auckland (£44,154)- and Dunedin (£24,285)'.

Incendiarism, or suspected' incendiarieni, is reported as the cause of 58 fires, involving the loss of £51,328. Forty-six fires occurred in unoccupied' buildings, with a loss, of £24,084. An analysis of the causes of firee places at the top of the list matches thrown down alight, resulting in 141 fires, with the loss of £48,029. The report discusses the high general lire waste in the Dominion,, but the conclusions arc based on the figures to December, 1929. .