Fire Board Concern At Oven, Car Fires

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31598, 8 February 1968, Page 12

Fire Board Concern At Oven, Car Fires

The Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board is concerned at the number of calls the brigade receives to domestic ovens and motor-cars on fire.

The board believes that some control device is required to prevent electric ovens from over-heating and that the wiring of motor-cars should be kept under closer survejjlance.

The matters were raised last night by Mr D. B. Rich during discussion of the monthly reports of the Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond) in the number of fires attended during December and' January. The reports showed that the brigade answered 14 calls to oven fires in December and 10 in January. In practically all the cases overheated ovens had ignited the contents, Mr Osmond reported.

Mr Rich said that the board could not accept the previous reply of the Fire Services Council that the human element was largely instrumental in causing such fires. This, in his view, was begging the question. Mr T. H. Boyle said the number of oven fires was now a serious matter. During December and January about half the fires where property had been affected had been oven fires. Mr Rich said the matter of car fires might be one for the Road Safety Committee to consider. He wondered if a car should be considered unsafe and be refused a warrant of fitness when the wiring had perished. Mr Boyle: “When you see some of the cars on the road you wonder if they have got a warrant of fitness.” The board decided to refer the matter to the Road Safety Committee.

Mr Osmond reported that the central brigade dealt with a record 2352 calls in 1967. Last month there were 240 calls, compared with 209 in January, 1967, and in December there were 223, compared with 208 in December, 1966.