INCENDIARISM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 27 October 1928, Page 8

INCENDIARISM

INCREASE IN CHRISTCHURCH i OUTBREAKS Ift EMPTY HOUSES; COMMENT BY BRIGADE OFFICIAL ,’3y Telegraph—Spocial to “The Mail") CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Incendiarism has been considerably on the increase in Christchurch in recent times, particularly during the last two years. In not many instances can anything he proved, hut there have been, many cases of suspected incendiarism where the deliberate firing of premises could offer the only solution of an outbreak. As Superintendent Warner, of the Christchurch Fire Brigade, said to a “Sun” reporter to-day, empty houses do not catch alight of. themselves. One unoccupied house that the brigade went: to not long ago was on fire in three different places.

FIRES THROUGH CARELESSNESS Superintendent Warner expressed his views on the subject of fire loss. “1 consider that 75 per cent, of the fires are caused by sheer carelessness,” he said. “Take electric irons—leaving them v ‘ switched on is always a source of danger. The faulty manner in which numerous buildings are erected is another cause of fire, particularly with two-; storey buildings, where the floor joists go right into the flues of the chimneys. • Then there are the modern low grates, i where the fires often burn on a layer.) of two inches of concrete. The con-; crete gets hot and chars the beams underneath. People w'onder where the >: smoke and smell are coming from, and : before they know where they are they j discover that there is another fire under i the floor. Indiscriminate throwing about of lighted matehes’and-cigarette | butts and the carelessness of people who : on washing days leave occumulatiotis of rubbish on the floors of w’ashhouses j near copper fires, are other big causes of fire.” i 'T EDUCATE THE CHILDREN’ ■; The only thing he could see for it was to educate the children to the danger of fire and the fatal -ease with i • which it could start. The fire brigades want fire prevention taught in schools. “Of course, we realise that education 1 boards can’t provide for everything that should be taught with this body and that coming along and wanting special tuition given in particular subjects. It is impossible to accede to all demands, but there is such a thing as having half-hour talks with the children, and fire danger is one subject that should be the theme of a lecturette. “It is sui'prising to know the number of children who play with matches. ; We had two fires last month caused by that. Kiddies could easily he taught in j the baby classes not to play with ’ matches. If children got this sort of A teaching in their young days it would j grow up with them and never leave them. They would follow their knowledge all their lives and the ultimate result would he less fires; with a consequent reduction of monetary loss through the country. Unless something in this .. direction is done fire losses will keep up just the same.”