PREVENTING SPREAD OF FIRE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25446, 18 March 1948, Page 6

PREVENTING SPREAD OF FIRE

Mr Watson: Having in mind the magnitude of the fife when you got there, there was clearly not sufficient personnel without civilian help?—ißot permanent personnel. The personnel was in Colombo and Lichfield streets.

Did you see Officer Stevenson? — Not at any stage of . the fire. Officer Burrows told me Officer Stevenson was in charge of operations in Lichfield street.

The fire had not quite reached the front of Cashel street when he arrived, Mr Barnes continued. The interior was a raging furnace to halfway down the frontage. His efforts were concentrated on preventing the spread -of fire to buildings opposite. None caught alight, although embers were smouldering on the roofs. He

first saw Superintendent Morrison after he had distributed the leads in the tearooms block. The superintendent gave him no instructions, but took general charge and made an inspection of the buildings. Witness was left in charge of operations in Cashel street.

“Were you satisfied, as deputysuperintendent, that you had sufficient men in your brigade to fight a fire of that description? asked Mr Watson. “No,” replied Mr Barnes. Mr Watson: To fight any major fires?—Yes, ordinary fires For a major city fire involving a large warehouse, block of shops, or hotel, you consider you have adequate personnel?—For a major fire such as Ballantyne’s, no.