AUCKLAND FIRE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1942, Page 4

AUCKLAND FIRE

REPORT ON INQUIRY

CAUSE ESTABLISHED

"The cause of the flre is fluite clear. An office boy, while drawing a trolley laden with books, accidentally knocked off the plug on ah electrical circuit supplying current to an adding machine," states the first paragraph of a comprehensive report of the Commission of Inquiry (Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.) into the circumstances of the disastrous fire which destroyed the

large block of buildings of John

Burns and Company, Ltd., iri August last year. The report was

released today.

Some of the re-

commendations contained in it are

of general application.

Evidence before the Commission showed that an unregistered wireman, instead" of drawing the fuse, of that circuit and so rendering the circuit safe, as he should have done, proceeded to unscrew the part of the plug remaining on the post in order, he said, to shake out the plug. He could not shake it. out and he tried to push it out from behind with a screwdriver. This caused an arc or shorts and the circuit being on D.C. and near the generating station was fiercer than on an A.C. circuit. Had the switchboard, which was the safety valve of the electrical system, been in order, nothing further would have happened through the unregistered wireman's wrongful or negligent act other than a blown fuse. But the Commission found the switchboard was not in order. The Commission expresses the opinion, on the evidence before it, that the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Brigade did everything necessary to combat the fire and did its work well. The Commission is also satisfied that the plant and equipment of the brigade are satisfactory and that the brigade is properly organised and trained. It has found that the water supply was adequate for the requirements of the fire. The Commission adds that the city authorities have in hand the jqb of rectifying the position in other parts of the district where the. water supply is insufficient for fire-fighting purposes. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. The Commission is of the opinion that closer supervision and control must be exercised over the location of electrical equipment and its installation. .-,' In this part of the report, attention is drawn to the failure of the Power Board to make inspections of electrical installations as required by law at intervals of not less than five years. • The Commission has drawn, attention to "the present unsatisfactory provision of proper fire escapes in old buildings with wooden floors in the Auckland metropolitan fire district, and the fireproofing of staircases and lift installations such as obtained in the John Burns building. The Commission refers to the fact that the Standards Institute has had under consideration for some considerable time the issue of a Standard Code for the use of local authorities in making bylaws relating to fire protection and fire escapes generally in buildings. The Standard Code is not ready for release, and the Commission suggests the Auckland City Council could pass the bylaw as it is now drawn with the alteration that an appeal from any person aggrieved should be to the Courts and not to the council. WINDOW PROTECTION. The Commission recommends that all windows or other openings exposed to the effect of fire in any buildings situated within 30ft laterally should be of wire glass in metal frames, or otherwise adequately protected against the spread of fire. The Commission has recommended that fire-escape drills should be held in aU factories or other buildings where large numbers of people are ? employed. The Commission has also recommended that other fire brigades in the cities should do as Auckland is now doing—send two machines and the ladder to all calls in the higher fire risk area, and not change staff in the watch room until all \ necessary orders have been given with respect to the particular fire to which the brigade has been called. : Replying to the question in the order of reference as to whether there were any other-matters which should properly be the subject of inquiry in relation to the fire, or the public criticism arising from the fire, the Commission makes the comment that since some appreciable time was lost through the automatic fire alarm having been disconnected without notification to the brigade, notice should be. placed outside the cabinet giving positive instructions that the brigade must be notified before the system is "cut off. MINISTER'S COMMENT. "In its well-prepared report the Commission of Inquiry," commented the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry) today, "has delved very closely and thoroughly into the cause and circumstances of the disastrous fire at John Burns's premises." The Commission's findings and recommendations would have the close attention they merited.

The Minister added that a communication, with a full copy of the Commission's report, had been sent to the Government Departments and to the various bodies concerned in one or more sections of the report.