FIRE DAMAGES CIVIC THEATRE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29193, 2 May 1960, Page 10

FIRE DAMAGES CIVIC THEATRE

Damage estimated at £5OOO was caused by a fire which broke out in the Civic Theatre, Manchester street, late yesterday afternoon. Twenty-five firemen and five fire engines answered the call at 5.47 p.m. The fire was located near the roof of the theatre above the stage, and beams, ropes, backdrops and other equipment were very extensively damaged. The theatre was almost fully booked for a concert to be held last evening and the Canterbury University Students’ revue, which opened in the theatre on Friday, will have to be moved to another theatre.

One of the first persons to see the fire was Traffic Officer J. Kinghorn, who was in the Christchurch City Council yard at the rear of the theatre. He saw thick black smoke pouring from a ventilator high up on the back wall of the stage near the roof. Traffic Officer Kinghorn immediately notified the Christchurch Central Fire Brigade on the radio in a patrol car in the yard. The fire brigade and traffic department’s radios are on the same frequency. Mrs C. J. Norman, the organiser of a concert in aid of the Cerebral Palsied Society to be held in the theatre last evening, and Mr J. Sullivan were in the ticket box at the front of the theatre about 5.45 p.m. when Mr Sullivan said he could smell something burning. Mr Sullivan rushed over to the doors leading to the body of the theatre and when he opened them he saw that the theatre was full of smoke. He ran back to the ticket box and shouted to Mrs Sullivan: “Get the brigade. The theatre is on fire. “The fire must have been burning for some time to enable the smoke to penetrate to the front of the theatre and it had a good hold by the time the brigade arrived,” Mr Sullivan said last evening.

First Alarm The first alarm was received at the Central Brigade at 5.47 p.m. Three units and the turntable jadder attended from the central brigade and these were joined by a unit from the St. Albans brigade. Twenty firemen and five officers fought the outbreak under the direction of Third Officer C. Stevenson. The Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond) also attended. Fire engines were stationed at various points around the building. The turntable ladder was driven up the wide alley leading from Worcester street to the side of the theatre near the front and extended so that firemen could clamber up on to the roof. A fire engine was parked in Worcester street in front of the Canterbury Automobile Association building and there was another one down the alley running alongside the A.A.C. building at the entrance to the council yard. Other units were parked in Manchester street.

The blaze was a very difficult one to fight as it was located high above the stage among the backdrops and woodwork. Showers of embers and sparks kept falling down on to the stage. Thousands of gallons of water were used to quell the outbreak and a stream of water poured down the alley along the southern side of the theatre and into the drains in Manchester street. Firemen were engaged in mopping up operations until late last evening.

Workmen from the Municipal Electricity Department cut off the power supply after the arrival of the firemen and the theatre was in darkness for some time before it was considered safe to restore the power. A large powerful spotlight mounted on a tripod was placed just inside one of the exit doors a Short distance back from the stage and its brilliant light cut a path through the smoke and haze. '

Very little could be seen of the fire from inside the theatre at the front because the sheet metal and asbestos fire curtain had been lowered. The paintwork directly above the stage was blistered with the heat. Work Above Stage

Firemen had to scramble up among the beams and ropes high above the stage to get at the seat of the fire. Water poured down the walls on to the stage. In one place the falling embers had burned a hole in the flooring of the stage. A piano at one side of the stage was badly charred. A large burning spar fell down on to the dressing rooms and some costumes were burnt.

Christchurch City Council traffic officers sealed off all the streets in the vicinity and helped the police to control the large crowd which gathered.

The theatre was almost completely booked out for the concert last evening. It was decided to transfer the concert to next Sunday evening in another theatre. The holders of tickets were given the option of transferring them to next Sunday or having their money refunded. Many who had not heard the broadcast notice of the postponement of the concert arrived at the theatre last evening. Some of them came from as far away as Timaru. Capping Ceremony “The fire is a tragedy and could not have occurred at a worse time as the theatre is booked for a concert tonight and for the students’ revue until May 7,” said the Mayor (Mr George Manning) last evening. He congratulated the members of the Are brigade for the excellent save they had made.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury (Dr. F. J. Llewellyn) said that the graduation ceremony planned for Thursday afternoon would definitely be held and an announcement about the location would be made not later than Tuesday. Dr. Llewellyn said he understood it might be possible to clean up the Civic Theatre stage sufficiently for the ceremony. If not, alternative accommodation would be sought.