RUBBISH FIRES IN CITY

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 13

RUBBISH FIRES IN CITY

BRIGADE’S PERMISSION NOT REQUIRED

NEW BY-LAW OPERATES FROM TODAY

The burning of rubbish in back yards, without the specific permission of the Christchurch Fire Brigade will be permitted under a new by-law of the Christchurch City Council, which comes into effect today. The Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond) said yesterday that the by-law was designed to. prevent blocking essential fire calls to the central station. The by-law states that no fire may be lit in the open air which, by its location, tendency to spread, or inadequate containment is likely to constitute a danger to property or any person. It may not be lit if the prevailing wind is such that it could spread, nor within 15ft of any building, fence or hedge, nor within the hours between sunset and sunrise. All fires so lit must be adequately supervised while they are burning. No Permission Needed “After years of being used to ringing up whenever they wished to light a rubbish fire, it will no doubt take some time before the public realise they no longer have to get the brigade’s permission,” Mr Osmond said. “There is no longer any necessity for people to ring the brigade if they want to light a rubbish fire.” e “If they continue to ring the brigade they will be breaking down the whole point of the by-law, which is to maintain the efficiency of our watch room. What I do want to point out is that in the conditions of burning there is a requirement of maintaining adequate supervision. It is desirable that someone should be in attendance all the time. If conditions change the fire should be left until they improve. “There is no restriction on Sunday burning,” said Mr Osmond. “Anyone can burn on that day if he so desires. All I do ask is that the public cooperate and extinguish the fire by sunset, maintain continual supervision, extinguish it if the wind become excessive, and ensure that when burning is finished the fire is covered over or put out. Co-operation Needed “It is pointed out that these regulations are a lessening of the previous requirements. People should cooperate with their neighbours and not burn, if for example, there is washing on the next door line. We get a lot of rings about things like that and it is worth pointing out that we are a fire brigade and not an adjudicator of neighbours’ quarrels,” said Mr Osmond.

The amended by-law applied at present only to the city area, Mr Osmond said. Riccarton residents required no permission, and Waimairi issued its own permits. Persons in Waimairi should apply to the county county office for permission to burn, Mr Osmond said. Persons living in the Halswell and Paparua counties required no permission, but those in the former ijiust obtain it if they wished to burn on the roadway, and those in the latter were confined by the Forest and Rural Fires Act to an open season. Cashmere residents had to obtain permission from the Sydenham fire station.

It was probable that these regulations would be brought into line with those for Christchurch shortly, said Mr Osmond.