Gracefield Fire Losses May Exceed £1,000,000

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28513, 17 February 1958, Page 8

Gracefield Fire Losses May Exceed £1,000,000

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 16. Though there is still no official confirmation of. losses through the fire which destroyed a block in the Gracefield industrial area bn Friday it is now thought that lhe figure will reach far above the original estimate. On Friday night it was stated that the damage could possibly be £1,000,000. Radio and radar equipment belonging to the Civil Aviation Administration which was destroyed in the blaze was valued at about £375,000.

The Director of Civil Aviation (Sir Arthur Nevill) said tonight that it was still not ascertained how great the department’s total loss would be. It was fortunate; he said, that a large consignment of valuable equipment for the new Rongotai aerodrome had not yet arrived. The general manager for New Zealand of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. (Mr A. Robb), said he now thought his flrm had suffered greater loss than was first believed. “It will take some while to sort out the figures, but it could be double what we first said.” On Friday night, a rough estimate of 1.C.1.’s loss was placed at £200,000. Mr Robb said there had been much talk about one danger of

the firm's chlorine gas cylinders exploding and expelUng gas. “There was only a small quantity of chlorine and it wasn't in the building at all at the time. It was moved even “further away from the building before there was any great risk. “At no stage was there any risk attached to it. There were a number of empty drums seen and I think many people took these to be full. The B.A.L.M; company's people and our people knew which ones were full and which weren’t,” said Mr Bobb. “There has been a good deal of exaggeration about this chlorine business. If the cylinders had been caught in the fire they quite likely could have exploded, but the explosions would have been no more serious than cylinders of other chemicals which were caught in the fire. “A cloud of gas would have been released, admittedly, but this would have been easily seen and, at any rate, would have been quickly dissipated by the wind. There would have been no great danger, as people would have moved away quickly as soon as they smelt the gas whieh is certainly unpleasant.” , Both 1.C.1. and B.A.L.M. workers knew where the different chemicals were stored. All were stored in compliance with the Dangerous Goods Act and the inspector who was at the fire had been completely satisfied that in all cases the regulations had been complied-" with, said Mr Robb. Mr L. Southward, of the Southward Engineering Company, who sustained losses of at least £ 100.000 in the fire, said any estimate above that figure could not be known as he was able to salvage some of his machinery. Today, he had two mobile cranes employed in salvaging work. Machinery saved will be taken to a new factory almost completed in Seaview, not far from Gracefield. Mr Southward said there would be no unemployment in his firm because of the fire. His factory employed 70 persons.