RISKS FROM FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19699, 27 July 1927, Page 12

RISKS FROM FIRE.

INADEQUACY OF WATER.

DEFECTS IN THE SYSTEM.

THREE RECENT INSTANCES.

ALARMS IN INSTITUTIONS.

The failure of the Fire Brigade to obtain pressure and volume of water at the fire which consumed the Salvation Army's Women's Industrial Home at Parnell on Monday night adds to the sense of insecurity that has existed in portions of Auckland since defects in the water system for fire-fighting were emphasised by Superintendent W. L. Wilson, of the City Fire Brigade, after the Waitemata Street outbreak in March, 1925. In this case it tianspires that the mains serving this area are those laid down by the Parnell Borough Council, and it is possible that' investigation will reveal that they are only three-inch, a size that is quite inadequate. Whether three-inch or four-inch, their capacity cannot ,be "face value," because at such an age encrustation seriously restricts them. Such was the flow of water during the fire that the brigade had to discard the standard one-inch nozzles and use smaller ones, thus securing pressure for less volume, and volume is a great essential in fire-fighting. As usual, the Ivhyber Pass reservoir was drawn upon to augment the supply, but the brigade had to wait for pressure to develop, an experience that is by no means rare, as was pointed out by the superintendent. in his report in 1925. Tests made at the scene of the fire yesterday morning again revealed inadequate pressure and volume. Recent Newmarket Tire. The last occasion upon , which firefighters failed to obtain pres.sure or volume was when, the Euroa private hospital, in Carlton Gore Road was destroyed oq, Juno 20. This is in the Borough of Newmarket, where new mains have replaced the old ones during the concrete surfacing of the streets in the past three or four years. In Carlton Gore Road ■.there is a sixinch main, and in Khybor Pass one of nine inches. As these pipes are new, it has been argued that nothing can be wrong with the condition of the reticulation, and the inference might be drawn that' the trouble occurred outside the area. The Newmarket Borough , Council buys its water at a certain pressure from the city. Inquiry into the circumstances of the Carlton Gore Road fire is still proceeding, and it is not therefore possible to obtain official information. There is a feeling in some quarters that pressure varies throughout the 24 hours. Tests may be satisfactory, but, as in the case of the Carlton Gore Road fire, the volume may be lacking when it is most needed. At a recent fire in Claremont Street, near the boundary of; the city and Newmarket, the mains of both authorities were tried with equally poor results. Value ol Automatic Alarms.

The risks run by the occupants of the Salvation Army Home once more argue the need of the installation of automatic alarms in institutions housing numbers of people. Year after year Mr. T. Hugo, inspector of fire brigades, has drawn attention to this matter in. his reports to Parliament, but the progress made has been very slow, and in Auckland slower than in many other towns. Last' year he was able to report only eight new installations for the whole Dominion and for the previbus year only nine. < Not only do these alarms which operate- at a certain temperature reduce the risk to life, but also, by giving early warning to the fire brigade, greatly reduce the material loss. The proportion of fire damage to premiums amounting to over one and a-half million pounds on property protected by one company's alarms in Britain over a period of 10 years, was 2.6 per • cent., against a fire damage of 51 per cent, of the premiums paid on property not so protected. On account of the reduced risk insurance companies give a rebate on premiums. Automatic alarms are a sound business proposition, besides offering much greater protection to life.