FIRE AT RONGOTAI

Evening Post, Issue 26, 31 January 1935, Page 14

FIRE AT RONGOTAI

CITY PAVING PLANT

GUTTED THIS MORNING

A GREAT SPECTACLE

The City Council's "Cummer" bitumen mixing plant at Rongotai was gutted shortly after 7.30 a.m. today by one of the most spectacular of recent fires, caused by the boiling over of tho "kettle" containing over 1000 /-gallons of bitumen weighing some five tons. There was less wind than usual on the flats, and the black column of smoke reached a considerable height. Bonfire builders know the stimulating effect of a bucket of tar. Here were tons of a similar material burning in, a chimneylike structure with the roof off.

The call- was received by the Fire Brigado at Constable Street at 7.35 a.m., and the brigade was on the spot within four minutes; and had subdued the flames within half an hour or so, but the inflammable nature of the spilt bitumen made their work difficult. TRAMS DELAYED. Th.ere are three levels in the plant. On the' top is the "kettle," below that tho platform containing the plant for the drying of the sand, chip's, and other mineral content of the mixture, and on the ground level is the mixing plant. What caused the "kettle" to boil over has not been ascertained. There are ma/iy things which will cause this "devil's brew" to fr,nth over, one of them being .the presence of even the smallest quantity of water, which, when a certain temperature has been reached, seems to invest tho contents with a diabolical frenzy of effervesc-1 once. The plant had been in operation for half an hour when the boil^over occurred. Two mechanical fire-extingu-: ishcrs on tho job were inadequate to cope with the blaze which rapidly en- j sued. The nearest lead was near the Bongotai tram stop, necessitating 2500 feet of hose. At one stage it was, necessary for tho Seatoun and Miramar ! trams to use only a single line, and these services were delayed for a quarter of an hour at a busy time. The heat inside the building must have been intense. All woodwork, despite tho speedy attentions of the brigade, was charred, some of the uprights completely through, and the iron walls were blistered and buckled in places, and to bo serviceable again the plant will need practical reconstruction. How much of the machinery will still be useful depends on the degree of heat to which it has been subjected. It is possible that engine, pipes, and containers may have been put out of business permanently, but some of the plant may bo salvaged. Fortunately there are at present no big bitummising works in hand, and with the exception of the retreading of the Taita Gorge Road for the Hutt County Council tho only work being earned on is in the reconditioning of footpaths. Work has had to be suspended temporarily on Taita Gorge. A coat had been laid ready for the receipt of chips today. ■ ' , The furnaces of the plant arc nearly all oil-burning, and it is extraordinary that 2000 gallons of fuel oil in kegs, as well as a quantity of bitumen _in kegs on tho premises, did not ignite. This plant took firo some months ago, but on that occasion tho flames were (jonfincd to tho top floor, the roof being damaged chiefly. This'was then removed, and it has not been replaced, tho Rongotai plant has cost well over £5000, but it has done a great deal of useful work, and might almost be said to have paid for itself. Though there was no big paving work in hand, it was being used for various small ■jobs such as bitumen macadam mix, 'as well as for footpath reconditioning. | The plant was insured with the Cor- j poration itself for £2200. ■