TREES BURNT AT FITZROY

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1931, Page 9

TREES BURNT AT FITZROY

LATE ARRIVAL OF FIRE ENGINE.

SUPERINTENDENT’S EXPLANATION

An alleged complaint that the New Plymouth Fire Brigade had not responded as it should to a call to a plantation fire at Fitzroy recently, with the result that about an acre of valuable municipal trees, was destroyed, was aired at a meeting of the Fire Board last night, when the brigade’s version of the affair was explained by the superintendent (Mr. A. Boon). The matter arose from some remarks made by Cr. P. E. Stainton at a meeting of the borough council on May 18. Cr. Stainton said . that he had heard that when a fire broke out in the council’s abattoir plantation at Fitzroy and the brigade was first summoned by telephone the informant was asked whether any building was in danger of being- burnt, and on a reply being received in the negative the brigade declined to attend the outbreak. It was not until a second call was made that the brigade turned out and extinguished the fire. Had the first call been answered probably the greater part of the acre that had been destroyed would have been saved. He thought that if the report was true it disclosed a state of affairs that should not be allowed to continue. The matter was referred to the council’s representatives on the < Fire Board to make inquiries, and Mr. J. Brown accordingly brought the matter up at the meeting of the Fire Board last night. Superintendent Booh said that the matter could easily be explained, and the explanation would no douot put a new complexion on the affair. When the first call was received Custodian Doughty was on duty at the station and his assistant was absent at the time with the small engine, doing the round of the street alarms. The informant mentioned that sohne rubbish was burning, but did not state that a plantation of trees was on fire. When asked whether any dwelling was in danger the informant replied in the negative. Custodian Doughty thereupon stated that as soon as his assistant returned he would come out, and this was subsequently done. He did not call out the brigade, as he had been instructed not to do so for an ordinary rubbish fire, which could quite easily be dealt with by the men from the station. Had any dwelling or valuable property such as a plantation been known to be in danger the brigade would have been called out, but it cost at least £5 every time, this was done.

It was a great pity, said Superintendent Boon, that the informant had not stated that a plantation was on fire. As a matter of fact, the cause of the whole trouble was the cutting some months previously of a lot of gorse, and the leaving of the dry rubbish without having it burnt. It was simply a temptation to anyone to. light it, and was bound to be set on fire sooner or later.

The board accepted Superintendent Boon’s explanation, the members expressing themselves as quite satisfied that there had been no negligence on the part of th? permanent officers of the brigade.