17 Treated After Fire

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32233, 27 February 1970, Page 22

17 Treated After Fire

(N Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 26. Thirteen firemen, three bystanders and a St John Ambulance man - were taken to hospital 1 last night as a result of , the fire in a chemical storage factory in Penrose. Most of those admitted were suffering from the effects of thick smoke and fumes given

off by exploding canisters of I chemicals, owned by Blade’sj I Chemicals, Ltd, and Ivon j Watkins-Dow, Ltd, the two; companies occupying the pre-: mises. The medical superintendent; of Middlemore Hospital (Dr R. F. Moody), said this morn i ing that all had recovered and' would be discharged later in! the day. One fireman was cut when! 2000 aerosol cans flew through the air after exploding.

e A conservative estimate of

the damage was “at least! SIOO.OOO." the secretary of; Blade’s (Mr C. L. Steele), said today. The medical superintendent of the Auckland Hospital Board’s extra-mural hospital (Dr J. C. Lopdell), telephoned i the national poisons informa tion centre in Dunedin, but it was later established that the fumes were irritant rather than toxic. Danger from poisonous; chemicals and tear gas on the premises this morning led to the exclusion of ail sightseers from the factory site. Cam sters of agricultural chemicals were still releasing gas today. As an added precaution in case the effects of fumes were widespread, or for possible in- j juries associated with the fire.; Dr A. G. Armitage opened' the Penrose industrial healthj clinic in Great South Road today and remained on duty until the situation was clear The danger of chemical fumes from the building late this morning caused the closing for the day of a factory next door. Firemen wearing protective clothing and breathing apparatus will begin removing the dangerous chemicals from the ruins of the factory tomorrow. The deputy chief fire officer (Mr A. W. Bruce) said the chemicals would be taken to a dump and buried. One of the persons taken; to hospital was a woman liv-i ing about a mile from thej fire. Tonight only one was; still in hospital Fireman Second Class J. Heywood, who is being kept for observation in the intensive care unit.