Fire destroys airport fire station

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33805, 31 March 1975, Page 12

Fire destroys airport fire station

The Timaru Civil Aviation lire station building, housing a foam tender, and fire-fighting equiment was destroyed early yesterday morning by fife.

Three deliveries of 3000. gallons of water were pumped on to the blaze, but the building was razed. Fire protection suits, breathingapparatus, a quantity of foam, carbon dioxide extinguishers and all the equipment on the appliance were destroyed.

The alarm was raised by Civil Aviation Division staff living near the airport. It is i thought the fire may have been started by a short cir-j. cuit in the electrical system of the fire engine itself. The heat from the blaze caused blistering to the flight service station and cracked nearby windows. The Chief Fire Officer for the Timaru Fire Brigade (Mr R. G. Carlaw) said the fire highlighted the water shortage at the airport. “If one of the larger build-! !ings had caught fire there ■ I probably would have been ian acute shortage of water," Ihe said. ! A fire-engine from Christchurch arrived early Sundav [and is at present being used! |in place of the equipment destroyed by the fire. The fire broke out at 1.07; ,3.111. One appliance and; tanker from the Timaru Fire! .Brigade attended and were [aided by a tanker from :Pleasant Point;

The departure for Christchurch of a Friendship aircraft was delayed until 12.15 p.m.