FIRES AND WATER SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19699, 27 July 1927, Page 10

FIRES AND WATER SUPPLY.

A building in flames on a stormy night, other houses in a closelysettled area menaced by the heat and the sparks driven before a high wind, firemen promptly on the spot, yet made helpless for want of a strong head of water—these were the elements , of a scene enacted in the early hours of yesterday morning. It was fortunate that the fire took no greater toll. Descriptions show there was nothing but good fortune to prevent it. No degree of efficiency in a fire brigade is of any avail if the men are not fully armed for the. work to which they are trained. At this Parnell fire they were not, for a reason which Auckland has heard before, an inadequate water main. When, a little over two years ago, there was trouble at a fire from' the same cause, the superintendent of the Fire Brigade reported in detail on water supply conditions as affecting fire-fighting. There was discussion by both the Fire Board and the City Council, but no policy of action was produced. Apparently nothing has been done. The superintendent spoke of inadequate mains, of dead ends, and of the difficulties these conditions imposed on his men. He spoke of precious minutes lost in the early stages of a fire waiting for additional pressure. His report was traversed in detail by the waterworks engineer, who depied that the city reticulation was inadequate for fire-fighting. Much was said about the size of the mains leading from

the various, re&ertfoirs*< Nothing, .Was said, because, apparently nothing wafe known, about the condition of the pipes in streets where the system was installed long ago. Who can say, whether what happened in Churton Street might not happen in a dozen other places, with tragic consequences 1 How much is really known about the conditions the brigade would meet in dozens of streets, cramjned with wooden buildings, with timber seasoned and dried by years, ripe for destruction once fire gained a hold 1 ? It should not be forgotten that outside of limited areas Auckland is a city of wood, where fire could easily run riot. A thorough investigation of the water available, not only in main streets, but all streets, should be made, and without delay. Whefi the data have been gathered, they should be published at once, so that the city might know its dangers and the need for protection. Public opinion should be marshalled on the subject, and improvement forced on the authorities. It is not enough to know of instances only when a fire occurs and finds the water supply wanting, as happened in Parnell. It will happen once too often if the past lethargy is not discarded and some definite policy speedily formulated to deal with the whole question.