Garage fire leaves two cars as scrap

Press, 15 September 1988, Page 5

Garage fire leaves two cars as scrap

By

DEBORAH MCPHERSON

A Blue Star taxi with a full L.P.G. tank and another car being repaired at a Christchurch service station ended up as scrap yesterday after a fire in the station’s workshop. The fire, at the Warrington Street Service Station, started about 4 p.m. when a mechanic was welding an exhaust pipe on the taxi. The fire got out of control, burning two cars, gutting the workshop and damaging equipment worth thousands of dollars, said the owner, Mr Malcolm Walkingshaw. The L.P.G. tank, had not posed any problem because its safety valve had shut off immediately the fire started, he said. “It was quite safe, and once the fire was out the Fire Service bled the tank of gas.” A third car had been in the workshop at the time, but Mr Walkingshaw .said he and the other mechanic had managed to drag it to safety. No-one was hurt, he said. None of the petrol pumps had been in danger, as they were some distance from the workshop, and a fire door separating the workshop and the showroom had been closed, preventing any loss of stock. Mr Walkingshaw said he had been in an adjoining lubrication bay, where another car was on a hoist, when the fire started.

"We tried to put out the fire with hand-held extinguishers, but with these modern cars the fire just ripped through the paint and plastic upholstery in seconds.” Three engines from the Fire Service took about 20 minutes to put out the blaze. Mr Walkingshaw said he had been “pretty embarrassed” at having to telephone clients to tell them their cars had been burnt out. “They were really good about it though, as both were insured, and we said we would help out with the difference. “The taxi-driver was understandably shocked, but very understanding. He said not to worry, as he was fully covered.” Mr Walkingshaw also praised local residents who had “pitched in” after the fire with materials to board up the shop, as well as food and hot drinks. In spite of the setback, Mr Walkingshaw hoped to be open to sell petrol by mid-morning today, after the M.E.D. had restored power. Two main power lines to the station, which had been fed through the lubrication bay, were cut during the fire. “It was certainly a real shock to see how quickly the fire spread. It is pretty heartbreaking really to see thousands of dollars worth of equipment go up in smoke.”