SHOW GROUNDS FIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25801, 23 March 1945, Page 6

SHOW GROUNDS FIRE

LOSS OF ARMY EQUIPMENT

CONTINUATION OF INQUIRY

CP.A.) PALMERSTON N., Mar. 22.

The coroner’s inquiry into the circumstances of the Show Grounds camp fire on December 31 last was resumed to-day by Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M. The superintendent of the Fire Brigade, Mr Milverton, gave evidence of doing work on two fire alarms at the Show Grounds on December 31 in order to trace trouble caused in the general alarm system of the city. After the fault ’had been located at the Show Grounds, this being due to vibration from heavy motor traffic, it was decided to cut out the Show Grounds loop from the alarm system. Witness advised the military authorities of the stej? taken, and the alarm boxed were marked, “ Out of order.” Witness said he was at the fire station at midnight on December 31. Twelve minutes later a man called and said there was a fire at the Show Grounds. Witness could see it from the doorway. A general alarm was sounded, and three fire engines were despatched. When witness arrived the fire was through the roof. It did not appear in the cookhouse until later. From his observation, it was a fire in the roof. The interior of the ordnance building was black. He could see no smoke, but the bolts on a door were too hot to touch.' The fire spread along the roof towards Cuba street and could not be stopped. On many occasions he had examined the ordnance stores as to fire hazard. The army s first aid equipment was in good order, and the method of storage was the best in view of the means available to the army. Witness said he had made a number of. recommendations about the reduction of the fire hazard, and these were always carried out. He did not recommend the installation of an automatic alarm system because he considered that the precautions taken were adequate. The inquiry will be continued tomorrow.

Military material valued at over £1,000,000, according to semi-official estimates, was destroyed by fire shortly after midnight on Sunday, January 1. The material was stored In the large halls owned by the Manawatu A. and P. Association. Ever since the threat of the Japanese invasion the military authorities had had the Show Ground buildings crammed with equipment, supplying from there the needs of the camps situated in the southern portion of ihe North Island with the exception of Wellington.