Fire Extinguisher Proves Dangerous

Grey River Argus, 25 August 1949, Page 8

Fire Extinguisher Proves Dangerous

AUCKLAND, Aug. 24 A man tried to put out a mattress fire with a chemical extinguisher, and when the brigade arrived, he was found unconscious. This case was quoted to-day when the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board sounded a warning at a meeting that the purchasers of extinguishers should make sure they got the right type. It was stated that a number of persons, unqualified by training or experience, had entered a lucrative field of business and the public in many cases was being sold unsuitable equipment. In a letter to the Fire Underwriters’ Association seeking support, the board had stated that it, was possible that the prospect of getting, extinguishers at cheap rates outweighed other considerations. It urged that an effort be made to ensure that “fire protection equipment is sold only by persons sufficiently well qualified in fire protection to avoid the haphazard sale of first-aid equipment.” The association replied that the matter would be brought to the attention of all its members.