Brigadesmen Give Evidence At Fire Inquiry

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1948, Page 2

Brigadesmen Give Evidence At Fire Inquiry

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. A start on the hearing of the evidence of eight further members of the Christchurch Fire Brigade was made this morning by the Royal Commission inquiring into Ballantyne’s fire on November 18.

Hector Adair Campbell, a secondclass fireman, said that an extremely dense column of smoke was coming from Ballantyne’s as the engine he was on reached Colombo street, via Lichfield street. As they arrived at Ballantyne’s, Station Officer Stevenson ordered them to get to work on a lead. He did not see what Stevenson had done, but carried out his own duty of finding and clearing a hydrant. Having done this, he saw Fireman Thompson come out of the smoke and ask for a respirator, which he procured for him. Life-line Attached

Campbell said he attached a life line to Thompson’s belt and Thompson went back to the right-of-way. When witness followed Thompson about 10 feet into the right-of-way to play out the life line, he realised he could not stay there because of the density of the smoke. He did not see Stevenson there. W hen the smoke became too thick for him in the alley he dropped the life line and procured a Burrell smoke mask from off the pavement near- the alley. There were none on the engine. Campbell said he saw a great volume of smoke coming from the windows, but it did. not enter his head that it was a major fire, though he thought that, perhaps, it was a bit bigger than they had anticipated. After procuring the respirator he went up to the double doors in the alley, but saw no one on the way. Inside the double doors visibility would be practically nil. He met Branchman Thompson, who told witness he “could not find it.” Campbell said he then took his respirator off. He was there for a minute with it off. The heat was growing unbearable. Went Up Ladder Campbell said he saw two men struggling with the Ajax extension ladder. Normally he would have received instructions from an officer, but he heard that girls were trapped and he considered it his duty to render assistance. Dobson, himself and a third fireman went up the ladder. Campbell said that while going up he saw no girls, but he had the impression that there were two girls up there. He had no knowledge of exactly where they were. The foot of the ladder slipped into the gutter of the veranda. He went up it, but he could not see the top for smoke. After going up about six feet, he was able to see into the first floor, which was a mass of flames. There may have been flame or smoke on the second floor, but he could see no sign of the girls when he reached the top of the ladder. He could not see into the third floor window because the bottom part of it was painted over. He was about three or four feet below the window. He did not see any girls. There was no sign of flames on the third floor. He did not feel any heat at the top of the ladder. His vision was not impeded by smoke. “While I was looking at the window and considering -the possibility of getting up to it,” he said, “I looked down and saw*flarhes from the first floor licking out through the ladder. I realised that if I did not get down I would have to jump.” “Could Do Nothing” He descended and told Dobson he could do nothing. Dobson went two or three rungs up the ladder.

Campbell said he did not agree that Dobson went half way up. They then came down from the verandah. On reaching the street he did not look for the officer, but went to Cashel street. Campbell said he should have reported to the officer in charge of his machine when he had discharged his original duty, but he did not.