Fire Board Deplores Reports

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31343, 13 April 1967, Page 14

Fire Board Deplores Reports

A motion expressing concern at “the impression created by newspaper reports on two recent fires without their first being referred to the proper authority for verification,” was passed by the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board last evening.

The reports referred to a fire in a haybarn at the Show Grounds on March 12, and a fire in a tree on a property off Macmillan avenue last Sunday. The Waimairi county engineer (Mr I. Calvert) said in a letter to the board that reports in “The Press” and the “Christchurch Star” referred to the inadequacy of the council’s water supply in dealing with the haybarn fire. The Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond) replied by letter that he knew of no criticism of the water supply from the fire brigade, especially of the Waimairi supply. Water used to fight the fire had come from the City Council supply which, unfortunately, was metered on entering the Show Grounds. The other supply used was from Riccarton, from the railway yards. Residents* Views Mr J. R. Smith said that residents in Hackthorne road and Macmillan avenue had expressed concern at the reported lack of water to fight a tree fire in a property off the avenue on Sunday. A woman had called at his home. “The Press” had reported that firemen stood with hoses without water, and one had expressed his disappointment at not being able to fight the fire without water in the hose. • “The Press” had also reported that the two fire engines had to leave the fire to replenish their water tanks and that the firemen had left when fires on other properties, caused by sparks from the first fire, had broken out. “Is the report correct? In

spite of the Chief Fire Officer’s denial it has created a very bad impression and done the brigade no good at all,” Mr Smith said. Mr Osmond’s Comment Mr Osmond said that the Heathcote County Council had said in the newspapers that there was adequate water in a hydrant in Hackthorne road. An Inquiry had been held by himself and the deputy chief fire officer. Officers at the fire had said that no attempt had been made to fight the fire from the Hackthorne road hydrant. Mr Osmond said that the officers had made an assessment and had decided the fire could be fought with water from their own tanks. The second engine had some difficulty in backing up the steep drive so that it could go away to replenish its tank if required. The officers had decided that the fire could be best

dealt with by using water from the tanks because the hydrant in Hackthorne road was too far away, and it would have taken too long to lay hose. “The officer assessed that water in the tanks was sufficient to knock the fire initially and, in fact, it was. Both engines replenished their tanks from a hydrant in Macmillan avenue. The officers decided that the fire could be dealt with by water in the engines* tanks, and at no time was it decided to use water from the hydrant.” To Mr Smith, Mr Osmond said that the alarm was received at 2.9 p.m. The signal that the fire was under control was received at 2.38 p.m. The fire was put out in 29 minutes including time taken to get to it. It would take the engines about two minutes to replenish their tanks. A motion by Mr D. B. Rich

that the board expressed concern about the incorrect reports on the two fires lapsed for the want of a seconder. After further discussion, during which Mr Smith and Mr Osmond said they could not agree that the reports were incorrect but thought they had created a wrong impression, Mr Rich altered his motion to form that passed, without dissent, by the board.

No reference was made at the meeting to Mr Osmond’s statement in “The Press’ on Tuesday that ground hose has been laid from the first engine as it drove up the winding drive to the property at 39 Macmillan avenue. Mr Osmond said in the statement that, because of bad radio reception, the second engine to arrive had not received its instructions to lay a hose from the hydrant to couple up with the ground hose laid out from the first engine.