FIRE WASTE IN DOMINION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20235, 21 October 1927, Page 4

FIRE WASTE IN DOMINION.

CARELESSNESS ‘THE CHIEF CAUSE. INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS ADVOCATED. (Special to Dails Times.) WELLINGTON, October 20. The annual report of the inspector of fire brigades (Mr T T. Hugo) was presented to Parliament to-day. The Inspector states: The estimated total population of New Zealand on March 31 last numbered 1,437,980, and of that total 451,605, or 37.5 per cent, are resident in the fire districts. The insured fire loss throughout the whole of the Dominion for the 12 months ended December 31. 1926, amounted to £1,129,257. The proportionate loss in the 46 fire districts for the corresponding 12 months was £364,432, or 13s 5d per capita, and the insured loss in the rest of the Dominion—i.e., the loss in the fire districts deducted from the total —amounted to £764,825. or 17s Id per capita. The fire waste throughout New Zealand for the year 1926 is estimated at £264.766. or 17s 7d per head of population, an amount which is most probably an unccr-estimate of the actual loss. As will be seen from the foregoing figures, the inspector proceeds, the fire loss in New Zealand is assuming a very serious aspect indeed. The carelessness in regard to fire exhibited in this Dominion is becoming more and more rife, as witness the number of outbreaks (227) under the headings of lighted matches, ; cigarette butts, electric irons, and live ashes thrown out—practically sheer carelessness in every case. In addition to the above, there were the 471 bush, gorse, and rubbish fires, some deliberate, but very many due to‘the careless use of matches. There were 90 fires due to sparks from fireplaces and copper fires There were 409 fires returned as “ cause unknown,” in which the fire had destroyed all evidence of its origin, but, without doubt, many of them were due to one or other of the causes set down above. “ In this matter of carelessness, the most effective remedy is systematic education in fire preventin matters in our schools,” proceeded Inspector Hugo. “ I would advocate the adoption of the system in vogue in the United States of America and Canada, wdiere instructin in fire prevention for one hour per month is compulsory in the State schools and colleges. In this connection I am in receipt of a communication from a schoolmaster in the Auckland province who is also an active member of a volunteer fire brigade in his town, in which is set out in five short lectures or lessons the most valuable instruction in fire prevention. The lessons, whilst comprehensive, are simple and concise, quite on the best lines I have yet seen, and T would strongly recommend that the lessons should be made part of tbe curriculum of all schools in New Zealand.”