Ballantyne’s Fire'Building Doomed Before Brigade Arrived'

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 February 1948, Page 2

Ballantyne’s Fire—'Building Doomed Before Brigade Arrived '

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 24. Because of the lateness of the call to the Christchurch Fire Brigade, Ballantyne’s buildings were doomed to destruction before the brigade arrived on the scene, said Third Officer James Thoinas Burrows in cross-examination before the Royal Commission at Christchurch today. ( ‘But, if that was so, you must have taken immediate steps to rescue the people?” the chairman (Sir Harold Johnston) asked. Officer Burrows explained that his opinion had been formed since the fire on November 18, when 41 lives were lost.

Asked by MrG. G. G. Watson, who led the evidence for the Crown throughout an examination extending into two days, to attribute the of the cellar fire’s becoming a major conflagration, Officer Burrows said the fire had been going for some time before the brigade was called; he was not informed of the smoke beyond the closed fireproof doors; he was not informed that the cellars were intei’connected; he was not told that access could be made to the cellar in Congreve’s building from the fire-escape alleyway between Goodman’s and Pratt’s building or through the partitions of the furnishing department. Even if the true facts of possible openings had been disclosed and water played into the cellar, the fire would still have got away, Officer Burrows said.

Except for difficulties in the type of the veranda, ladders to reach the girls in Goodman’s and Pratt’s buildings were available, said Officer Burrows. No officer but himself had the right to interfere with the dispatch of the electric extension ladder from the Central Fire Station. “When the fire broke out it did so with such magnitude that it was too late to go and inform anybody,” he replied when he was asked why steps were not taken to inform somebody in Ballantyne’s that evacuation was necessary.

Officer Burrows was in the box throughout today’s sitting, and his examination and cross-examination were finished at 5.25 p.m., by which time he had been a total of eight hours 51 minutes in.the witness box. At'the end of his examination of five hours 35 minutes by Mr Watson he was given an opportunity to express his own views to clear up any points raised in the questioning. Lengthy Cross-examination

Continuing the cross-examination yesterday afternoon Mr C. S. Thomas (for the underwriters): You realise you were experts, and Ballantynes were not experts in fires?—That would be so.

As part of your duty under the Act is to save lives, was not there a clear duty upon you to give any warning if necessary, to Ballantynes to deal’ their premises?—lf necessary. Yet don’t you think that the electric extension ladder should have gone with you?—Yes. Did you take any steps when you first came out of Congreve’s right-of-way, and saw that the ladder had not arrived, to have the electric ladder sent for immediately?—No.

Did you make any inquiries of Roger Ballantyne as to access to the cellars, or whether the cellars were inter-connected? —No. You knew he was there to assist you?—He was standing there. You did not warn Roger Ballantyne of the seriousness or necessity for evacuation after you left the right-of-way, when you had been unable to find the door? —No. You went on with the idea of smashing a window of Congreve’s building?—Yes. It would have been preferable to have put a lead through to the ground floor of Congreve s building, instead of the first floor, but I tried to save the damage of breaking a window. When you put out the brigade call did you not notify anybody in Ballantyne’s that they would have to evacuate? —No. Don’t you think the duty was on you, as an experienced fireman, to notify them?—When the fire broke out, it did so with such magnitude that it was too late to go and inlcim anybody. Everybody knew we had a major fire on our hands. It was too late to make a full evacuation? —I presumed that the building had been evacuated by that time. How long were Officer Stevenson and Fireman Thompson in the right-of-way?—Seven or eight minutes. Do you know of anything those

two firemen did in the right-of-way in those minutes? —No, I do not. If the guttering of the verandah was solid enough, it should provide a good footing for the ladder, said Officer Burrows, after studying photographs. He did not know of a better-built verandah in Christchurch. Question Of Ladders Mr Thomas: According to architects, the height from the gutter line of the verandah on Pratt’s building to the windows on the second floor is 21ft 3in. Had you ladders available that would have reached from the gutter line to the window? —Yes. The measurement from the gutter line of Goodman’s building to the window on the third floor was 34ft. Had you ladders that would reach that height?—No. Not carried on appliances. But if a ladder was used from the ridge of the verandah, you would have a ladder that would reach 28ft? —Yes,

It appears that men were moving about the ground floor of Goodman’s building until just after 4 o’clock. Can you see any reason why your firemen were unable to make an investigation with respirators?—They could have done so.

You know now, that if the barest investigation had been made, an opening through to Congreve’s building, on the ground floor, must have been found?—lt would have been found.

If that opening had been found, it would have been a perfectly simple thing to find the hottest spot, and put a hole through to the cellar? —That would be the case.

If there was a hole through to the cellar, and you could have put your spray through, the probabilities are that it would have remained a cellar fire?—Yes.

Answering Mr Lascelles (for the City Council), Officer Burrows agreed that when smoke was coming from the right-of-way and when alternative access had not been found, evacuation was called for. Burrows said the Brigade’s electric ladder was of the same type as that at Wellington. Auckland’s was older, and Dunedin’s newer. Development Of Fire Mr E. D. Blundell (for the fire underwriters): “If the first call had been a Brigade call, and had been acted upon promptly as a general call was, do you still thing you could not have prevented the spread of fire?—“l don’t think we could have located that fire in time to save the building.” “Have you ever had a fire which developed as rapidly as this one did?” —“Never.”

Mr Watson (re-examining): “You said the fire had achieved a stage that Ballantyne’s building was doomed when you got there?” —‘That is my opinion.” “Your opinion is that no effort of the Brigade could save the building from ultimate destruction?” —“The fire was well established in the linings and floor joists. It would have been difficult to save.”

‘So you say the whole building was doomed?” —“I would not say the whole building. It was on the way.” “But, if that was so, you must have taken immediate steps to rescue the people?” suggested the chairman. Witness said he had since formed that opinion. “Had you any doubt at all but that the gentleman who took you to the goods lift was the man in authority?” asked the chairman. “I did not know he was the man in authority,” witness replied. “I thought he was an employee.” “Was it not your duty and common sense, to ask him to show you someone in authority?” the chairman asked. Witness: “Yes.” The chairman: “And you failed to do it?” Witness: “Yes.”