THE CITY BRIGADES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1941, Page 11

THE CITY BRIGADES

WORK LAST YEAR

CAUSES OF FIRES

Though more than twenty causes of fire are set out in the annual report of the Wellington Fire Board, the greater number of .the 253 property fires of 1939-40 came from a few longrecognised causes. ' "Light thrown down" led, with 34 fires; sparks from chimneys, incinerators, and coppers •were next, 29; then came short circuits in electrical wiring, 23; defective chimneys and hearths, 18; electrical appliances left switched on, 14; clothing in contact with flue pipes and naked lights and overheating of fat, polish, etc., equal with 11 fires. Cigarette'ends' on furnishings and materials caused 10 fires, but pipe embers only one. Smoking in bed started three fires.

The other fire causes ran from suspected juvenile arson to phosphorus rat poison and spontaneous combustion. The care with which causes of fire are investigated by officers of the brigade is indicated by the very small proportion of unknown causes, six out of 253.

Altogether there were 645 actual fires during the brigade year, but 305 were gorse' and rubbish and 87 were chimney fires. False alarms —mostly justifiable—brought the total calls to 1176, more than 200 higher than in the previous year (947), and about 70 higher than in 1937-38. Property loss, however, was. only half that of 1938-39 —£81,742 compared with. £162,179— though very much greater than the £27,753 of 1937-38.

Four fires only were regarded as serious. They were the warehouse of J. C. Riddell and Co., Ltd., Edward Street, in November, with an estimated loss of £13,677; the Hope Gibbons warehouse, in Inglewood Place, in January, 1940, £34,368; the Hotel Lloyds fire and fatality, . February,' £5546; and the L. Evans and Co.'s building, in Cuba Street, in February, £10,146. A Wellington City Council employee lost his life and another was injured by an electrical explosion and flash fire in a sub-station in Featherston Street in June. PROTECTIVE ROUTINE. Apart from putting fires out brigadesmen have any amount to do seeing that fires do not start, testing plant and alarms—23,ooo alarm tests alone last year—-inspecting theatres (1004 inspections) and other buildings, inspecting and testing hydrants throughout the" city and subux-bs, and drills averaging about an hour and a half each day. The health record was very good, for the 105 men clocked up only 162 days' sick leave and 105 days off duty on account of illness. The report gives the number of buildings in Wellington as 27,615 and the value of "improvements" as £26,670,697—as the fire loss for 1939-40 was only £81,742 (all but £1283 covered by insurance), the percentage loss was very small.

The cost of running the brigades— Central, Mirarnar, Constable Street, Thorndon, Brooklyn, Northland, and Khandallah—was just under £41,000, for there was a balance of £1411 from the £21,000 found by the City Council, £21,000 by the insurance companies, and £400 by the Government. Station properties are valued at £161,088, and plant, stores, furnishings, and so on, at £37,776.

The superintendent, Mr. C. A. Woolley, puts on record in his report the efficient service given by all officers and ranks, and the loyal service of the auxiliary staff, and also thanks the officers of the City Council, the Harbour Board, Police "Department, and the Volunteer Fire Police for their assistance.