YEAR’S FIRE LOSS

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1934, Page 11

YEAR’S FIRE LOSS

LOWEST FOR THIRTY YEARS. FEW SUSPICIOUS FIRES. A big- drop in the national fire losses is shown in the report of the Inspector of Fire Brigades (Mr. R. GirlingButcher) to the Minister of Internal Affairs. The national loss by fire during the year 1933, estimated on the same basis as in previous years, was £644,781, • as compared with £867,714 for the year 1932 and an average of £1,332,632 for the five years 1927-31. Those figures show a remarkable drop in the national fire waste for the past two years, the. loss for 1933 being less than half that of the five-year average. It is difficult to make comparisons with the pre-war period, as the statistics for insured losses have only been kept in the present form since 1924, and there is some doubt as to the accuracy of the figures published prior to 1917. From the information available, however, it would appear that the loss for 1933 expressed in relation to population (8s 4d per head), which is the only satisfactory basis of comparison, is comparable with the lowest figure recorded for the past 30 years. EFFECT OF LOWER VALUES. To some extent the fire-loss figures for the year do not accurately reflect the true position, since they are based on the payments made by insurance companies, and by the terms of their policies the latter are required to refund to the insurer the replacement value only of insured property destroyed by fire. Property values, which had fallen considerably in 1932, were still further reduced in 1933, and to the extent of this reduction the fire-loss figures for the year represent lower values rather than a lesser quantity of property destroyed. It is difficult to estimate accurately the effect of these lower values on the year’s returns, but it is considered that since about 75 per cent, of the insured property is Situated in districts protected by fire brigades and most of the losses In these areas are partial ones only, the apparent reduction due to this cause would not exceed 25 per cent., leaving a balance of from 25 per cent, to 30 per cent, to be otherwise accounted for. FIRE FACTS BETTER KNOWN. The improvement in the fire-fighting methods and the equipment and efficiency of the fire brigades has undoubtedly affected the fire-loss position, but this is a gradual process and would, be unlikely to be more than ' a minor contributing factor in the sudden drop which has taken place in 1932 and 1933. On consideration of the position there appears to be no reason to modify the opinion, expressed in the last annual report, that *the principal cause of the marked reductio.. in fire loss is the more general understanding by the public of the facts regarding fire. Propertyowners appear to have realised to a much greater extent than in the past that the insurance contract is. an indemnity only, and that a forced realisation on property through fire will on present-day values involve heavy loss in most cases. The marked decrease in the number of fires occurring, particularly in business premises, is evidence of the greater care with respect to fire which has been forced on the public through the severity of the depression. CAUSES OF FIRES. The year’s records show that there has been no great variation in the causes from which fire arise. Pride of place as the principal fire hazard is still held by the unguarded domestic fireplace, while fires from electrical equipment tend to increase, mainly because of electric irons and radiators being left on after use. Next in order come fires from smokers’ carelessness with matches, pipes, and cigarettes, this hazard being a prolific cause of fire in business premises. Fires from naked lights (lamps, candles, etc.) are decreasing in number with the greater use of electricity, but those from the domestic use of petrol inside buildings (home dry-cleaning) appear to be increasing, and are the most prolific source of personal injury. The indications from the return are that every day approximately the same number of people leave matches, and particularly wax matches, about for children to play

with, light rubbish fires near buildings, use petrol or kerosene for lighting fires, place hot ashes in wooden containers, air clothes before open fires, look for gas leaks with a lighted match, or contribute to the national fire waste in other ways. There has been a very definite decrease during the year in the number of fires recorded as of suspicious origin. The special ' inquiries by tfie police into all fires the cause of which is not clearly accidental have been continued, but the number of cases it has been found necessary to refer to the special committee for further consideration has been less than one-third of the number dealt with in 1932. Only seven coroner’s inquiries into fires were held during the year. There were only 13 prosecutions for arson in 1933, as against 28 in 1931, Seven fatalities due to fires were recorded during the year—the same number as in 1932. Of these four were due to persons being trapped inside burning buildings, and three deaths were due to parsons using' petrol inside buildings in the vicinity of fires or naked lights. Only one fatality occurred in, fires in hotels during the year, The number of persons injured during fires was,. as would be expected from the lesser number of fires occurring, considerably below the average of the past few years. Only 30 cases were reported to the department, and in only 17 were the persons seriously injured. . . ;