ADDINGTON FIRE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28921, 15 June 1959, Page 13

ADDINGTON FIRE

Dust Explosion Danger

The possibility of an explosion was considered “a great risk” as firemen fought to control a fire ln j a j Addington seed-cleaning and dressing plant during midoaturday morning. When the fire was brought under control before midday, damage amounting to thousands of pounds had been done to the machinery and building of the largest seed cleaning and dressing plant in the Southern Hemisphere. Owned by Wright. Stephenson and Company, Ltd., the plant is in Princess street, Addington.

“The greatest risk was the danger of the huge amount of dust in the plant exnloding.’’ said the chief fire officer of the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board (Mr L. R. Osmond) last evening. “The damage was slight considering the value of the contents. which have been Estimated at £1 million.”

The plant covers a large area, and apart from the giant seed cleaning and dressing machinery provides storage for thousands of bags of seed.

According to a company official, some of the machinery was damaged beyond repair. He was unable to give an accurate estimate of the damage but he said that it would undoubtedly run into thousands of pounds. Apart from that a large quantity of pea seed, which was being cleaned and dressed for shipment to Britain in the near future, had also been badly spoiled. There are two other cleaning and dressing plants on the premises and the official said that it would be necessary to operate one of them 24 hours a day to complete the job on schedule. The damaged plant consists of a mass of machinery which reaches nearly to the sky-lighted roof of the corrugated iron building.

The flames from the fire when it was at its height broke the glass panes in the roof. The firemen managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the bags of seed around the plant. If they had not done so. it is probable that the fire would have spread into two adjacent rooms where the other cleaning and dressing machinery is housed. The fire was put out shortly before midday but a unit from the Sydenham fire station stood by while units from Central and Sockbum returned to the stations.