Rubbish dumps fire problem

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32587, 22 April 1971, Page 14

Rubbish dumps fire problem

The metropolitan local bodies should consider concerted action to improve methods of collection and disposal of rubbish to lessen fire and health hazards caused by burning tips, the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board decided last evening.

Members of the board agreed that fire appliances, n not designed to put out fires a in rubbish dumps, were cal- il led too frequently to dump t fires. d The board decided to thank a the New Zealand Clean Air e Society for drawing its attention to pollution from unnecessary rubbish dump n fires in Heathcote and r New Brighton, causing a ]< health hazard through f smoke. The New Brighton Volun-! teer Fire Brigade’s senior h station officer (Mr R. Stokes) t said that between- February v 27 and March 15 the brigade p was called to seven rubbish ti dump fires and 13 oilier grass p and rubbish fires. c Mr Stokes said the calls ti included eight to the City c Council’s Rowan Street dump. The voluntary fire- k men spent long hours at rub- ti bish fires and later cleaning a dirty hoses. v PULVERISING MACHINE The clean Air Society said ti that a pulverising machine f could be used as a substitute ti for the deliberate firing oi . rubbish dumps. The machine " reduced bulk by 87 per cent, and could pulverise metal. Pulverised material could be used for compacting or landscaping. “The machine would cost $lOO,OOO if the installation of large conveyors was required for a central dump,” the society said, forwarding a brochure about the machine. “In thinking of that ram, the local authorities should assess the savings through preventing air pollution, consequent health hazards and unnecessary fire calls,” the society said, t- T !? e £ hi ® f Fire Officer (Mr t F. A. Hardy) said the view a of the New Brighton Brigade n was justified. The fire en- r gines were not designed for t rubbish-dump fires. The only ( pits to cause frequent fire i: calls were those at Bexley, Dyers Road and Heathcote t EARTH COVERING J ..Mr D. T. Stickings said * that a few years ago the Wai- ’ main and Paparua County ' Council rubbish dumps also e caused frequent calls for fire . engines. Better methods of, dumping and covering with 1 earth had almost eliminated c fires at these tips. 0 The board’s chairman, Mr, N- G. Pickering, who is also 1 chairman of the Christchurch ' City Council’s health and ! clean air committee, move! that’local bodies attenition be 1 drawn to the need for inves- c tigation of rubbish disposal 5 m a central dump. World weather <

The world’s weather on Tuesday was: Rome, clear, 48 deg. minimum, 75 deg. maximum: Paris, sunny, 47, 65; London, cloudy, 48, 63Berlin, cloudy, 41, 64; Amsterdam, cloudy, 45, 59; Brussels, clear, 59, 68; Madrid, clear, 51, 64: Moscow, cloudy, 36, 59; Stockholm, clear, 43, 50; New York, cloudy, 50, 71; San Francisco, cloudy, 47, 54; Los Angeles, clear, 50, 65; Chicago, cloudy, 46, 58; Miami, clear, 66, 78; Tokyo, clear, 47, 66; Hong Kong, clear, 70, 79; Buenos Aires, clear, 37, 66; Rio de Janeiro, sunny, 65, 87; Johannesburg, clear, 54, 70; Singapore, clear, 75, 91,

“There are far too many rubbish collections and dumps and the local authorities should consider a cental system an dump to reduce the smoke nuisance and health hazards,” Mr Pickering said. RATS AROUND FEET Mr Stickings said that firemen objected particularly to rats around their feet and legs, and flies around their faces while they were fighting rubbish dump fires'. Questioned, Mr Hardy said he did not think malicious setting of fires in rubbish tips was a worry “No sane person would enter a rubbish tip fire in the dark. The disposal of hot ashes and incorrect disposal of rubbish on tips is a more frequent cause.” It was suggested that if local authorities had a water tender and bulldozer on hand at each tip fewer calls would result. The board resolved to’ thank the Clean Air Society for drawing its attention to the pollution caused by fires in rubbish dumps.