FIRE IN SHIP

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 140, 10 March 1941, Page 6

FIRE IN SHIP

Outbreak At Wellington Wharf CARGO DAMAGED

Sparks From Welding Believed Cause

Fire which was discovered early yesterday morning in a vessel berthed at the Glasgow Street Wharf-, Wellington, caused serious damage to cargo. The outbreak was suppressed within three hours and comparatively little damage was done to the ship.

The cause of the fire is believed to be sparks from welding that was being done on Friday night immediately above a fan room. This room houses a fan for circulating air throughout the cargo and the fan would have the effect of fanning the sparks. The first material to be discovered on Are was the cork insulation of the fan room. Detectives have been making investigations in case the tire had a more grave origin. The occurrence of the fire was indicated by smoke coming from a ventilator connected with the fan room. After making some attempt to extinguish the fire themselves, the crew of the ship called on the Wellington Fire Brigade for assistance, and the brigade sent four pumps and a salvage van to the wharf. Holes Cut hi Deck.

When the brigade arrived at 2.41 a.m. the cork insulation and wood were afire. Unsuccessful attempts were made to smother the flames with gas, but the firemen were hampered by the smallness of the opening into the fan room from the deck above. The hatches were opened mid dense smoke which Issued from them showed that the fire had got into the cargo packed round the room. The fire was then attacked from both skies with several hoses delivering salt water and fresh water. To enable more deliveries of water to be brought to the fire holes were cut iu the deck plating with acetone torches. The removal of some of the cargo allowed the fire fighters to get at the fire even better and by 5.30 a.m. it was under control. The brigadesmen were able to leave the ship about an hour later.

The dense smoke and fumes from the smouldering cargo forced the fire fighters to don breathing apparatus. After the fire had been extinguished one of their number who was on duty in the hold, Mr. J. Clarke, was overcome and was taken to hospital by the Free Ambulance, but his case was not serious and bp was able to get about later in the day. Unloading of the cargo commenced yesterday, but the extent of the damage will not be known till the work is completed this afternoon. More damage was done to cargo by water used to extinguish the fire than by the fire itself. The damage to the vessel consists of the deck plating of the fan room and the buckling of the deck plating above the seat of the fire.