FIGHTING FLAMES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 155, 29 December 1936, Page 8

FIGHTING FLAMES

FIRE BOARD YEAR

FEWER CALLS

NEW EQUIPMENT

Though a destructive blaze occurred only this morning, Wellington has been fortunate throughout the year which is now closing in its freedom from serious fires. Whilst the year under review has not quite ended, the number of calls received by the brigade was 760, or a decrease over the previous year. He turns for the year, with figures for 1935 in parentheses, are as follows: — Property ... 205 (17G) Chimney 95 (98) Gorse, grass, etc 205 (316) Justifiable false alarms 161 (92) '' Malicious false alarms 94 (136) Total 760 (818) The highest property losses recorded up until yesterday were at fires involving a private residence in Lindrum Terrace on July 15, and the Berkeley Private Hotel in Oriental Terrace on September 15, where damage in each case amounted to over £2000. What may be regarded as the most unfortunate outbreak to which the brigade was called happened on July 18 at 12 Harriett Street, Thorndon, where fire and explosion claimed a victim who had been engaged in packing cinematograph film into cases. It is believed that the fire was caused by ignition of the film through coming in contact with metal heated by a soldering iron during the process of packing. The risks attendant on the handling of celluloid are once again brought prominently before public notice, and the need for extreme care when dealing with articles made from this highly inflammable substance cannot be too highly stressed. USEFUL SALVAGE VAN. ' Th" brigade's new salvage van, with modern streamline effect, was commissioned on April 1, and this special unit not only lends a dignified appearance to the turn-outs, but serves a most useful purpose in the event of outbreaks of fire in the city or higher risk area. The van is equipped with a number of self-contained oxygenbreathing sets, and seating accommodation is so designed as to permit the crew to fit and thoroughly adjust the apparatus, in readiness for entry to heavily smoke-charged atmospheres. In the numerous lockers provided there are stowed multifarious pieces of equipment, ever ready for immediate action in minimising water damage and for general salvage work. Special equipment for the purpose of transferring fire calls from street alarm boxes in the Newtown and Thorndon districts to headquarters station has been recently installed, and in the event of any suburban units being absent from their respective stations fire calls transmitted from any point throughout the city or suburbs will be automatically recorded at the central station. FOAM APPARATUS. The proved efficacy of foam in dealing with fires involving highly inflammable liquids and substances has resulted in the brigade recently commissioning a unique and ingenious piece of equipment, in the form of aifoammaking branchpipe. The foam supply produced by this unit is generated automatically and instantly. Water, in passing through the hose line to: the branchpipe, draws in the foam-making compound, together with' the necessary amount of air, thus producing and discharging a' powerful jet of foam. The container which holds the foammaking compound is in the form of a knapsack, which is worn by the operator and is fitted with a valve so that the supply of compound can. be regulated as desired.

Building operations on the new central station and quarters for the married men were begun on January 20, and with the steady progress which is being made it is anticipated that the brigade's modern home will very soon be ready to house the up-to-date equipment which has been built up by the Fire Board. ' The fire in the Plaza Theatre, this morning was probably the most serious outbreak of 1936, but it is yet too early to estimate the approximate damage.