FOUR FIRE ENGINES OUT AT ONE TIME BRIGADE KEPT BUSY

Wanganui Chronicle, 31 January 1947, Page 4

FOUR FIRE ENGINES OUT AT ONE TIME BRIGADE KEPT BUSY

GRAVE DANGER FROM GRASS FIRES. Four engines of (he Wanganui Fire Brigade simultaneously attended grass fires yesterday afternoon. In all six calls to grass fires were received between one and six o’clock, and one of them threatened serious consequences, the tram barn being in the near vicinity. Five of the fires were near the railway line from Taupo quay to Wilson Street. The day’s activities started at 1.28 p.m. when the Castlecliff engine responded to a call for a grass fire in Harper Street. Not much difficulty was experienced in combating this outbreak. At 2.19 central station received ita first call. Sparks from an engine had caused three fires in the stretch from the overhead tram bridge to Guyton Street. One minute later, at 2.20, another call came for a grass fire, this time near the Ingestre Street railway cross, ing. A second machine was dispatched there, and leads of hose were needed to extinguish the two outbreaks there. In the meantime the fires near Guyton Street were proving hard to halt, so at 2.29 another machine was sent there to help out. At 2.36 the brigade was notified of a fire on the railway line at the top end of Wilson Street, apparently caused by the same engine. The machine which was sent to deal with this outbreak brought the total to four out at one time. After these three fires had been successfully combated the brigade had * respite until 5.21, when it received a call to the outbreak, which had the biggest potential risk of the day. On the railway line near Taupo Quay three separate fires had started, threatening a considerable amount of property, including the tram barn, a shed and three motor-cars parked close by. Two machines were promptly dispatched on receipt of the call, and by the use of hoses, bucket pumps and beaters the brigade succeeded in controlling the fires before any damage of consequence could be done. One machine had returned to the station, leaving the other to give the finishing touches to extinguishing the fire, when the final call was received at 5.43. This machine immediately went to the Liverpool Street, crossing and dealt with a small fire which had started there. Long summer days of sunshine and little rain has dried up undergrowth to tinder state, causing the grass to burn fast and fiercely. This is the most dangerous time of the year, and is keeping the fire brigade uncomfortably busy. Strict safeguards against possible causes of fires are being asked of the public.