FIRE ESCAPES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13938, 11 January 1911, Page 3

FIRE ESCAPES.

REPORT BY BRIG-DE SUPERINTENDENT.

At the meeting of the Fire Board last evening & report was received from Superintendent Erck, referring to the adequacy or otherwise of the fire escapes provided in what are termed '•common lodging houses."

The report stated that the fatal fire which recently occurred in a Wellington boarding "house, had. probably caused some thought as to what the result of a similar fire in Christchurch would be. Tho Board's regulations provided for an annual inspection of every public boardinghouse—moaning a common lodging house licensed by the City Council. Only one of these places had upplied for a. renewal of it& license this year, but fourteen others had not so applied, tlie Superintendent believed that they were carried on in the same .way. as previously. There were pro-'ba-bly an' equal number of exactly similar boarding houses which, in his term'of office, had never been licensed, and had therefore never been inspected by him. In March, 1909, when reporting on the condition of those houses holding a license, he stated that ihey were fairly well supplied with means of escape, and tlion went on as follows: —"Tho construction, however of some of these buildirgs, makes them dangerous places to license as common lodging houses, even with the safeguards provided. While I am not prepared to recommend that their licenses be cancelled, seeing that they have boon passed as safe for probably many years, I should certainly recommend that no more weatherboard houses more than one storey high bo considered as suitable for this purpose." Fires in old wooden buildings spread so rapidly that when, as at holiday times, lodging houses so constructed were fully occupied, loss of life was almost inevitable, unless the fire was discovered at its inception. The Chairman (Mr J. D. Hall) said that the Fire Board had no power to enforce alterations of buildings. It was evident that there were a number of buildings which, in the event of fire, would be a source of danger to the occupants. He moved that the report be sent to the City Council, which might see its way to deal with the subject raised. Mr C. Taylor said that there was a very fine distinction between a boardinghouse and a "common lodging house." He was unable to appreciate the distinction. Other members said that they - were equally in difficulties. The chairman's motion was carried.