FIRES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18217, 30 October 1924, Page 9

FIRES.

AN INCREASING TOTAL.

(ancui. to "tk» m»')

WELLINGTON, October 39

The annual report of the Inspector of Fire Brigades says the total fire loss throughout the Fire Districts for tho year ended June 80th, 1924, amounted to £355,024, as against £'238,813 for tho previous twelve, months, an increaso of £119.711. The three heaviest district losses occurred in Christchurch (£96,575), Invcrcttgill (£47,221) and Auckland (£'43,908), and which accounted tor over half of the total loss.

The insured loss throughout tho Dominion for the year ending December 31st, 1923, amounted to £831,373. The proportion of fire loss throughout tho Fire District* for the corresponding twelve months amounted to £187,779. The Dominion fire waste for the same period is estimated at £997.648, or 15s W por capita of the population estimator to April Ist. 1923. Inspector Hugo says that n«fie BO per cent, of tho outbreaks of tire are easily preventable. Most are caused by sheer carelessness, and. as pointed out and advocated for years past, the remedv is education. The United States of America and the Dominion of Canada, whose tiro wns*o is somewhat on a par with that ofl'pw Zealand, hnve rea'ised the necessity for a national movement toward the reduction of their hnpo loss, and tliis has resulted in very practical action being taken. Fire prevention methods are now regularly taught in their schools and colleges. "Fire prevention weeks have been established by proclamation, snecial colleges have l*en founded and are in operation for the education of fire hrigado officers in more efficient methods of fire prevention !»nd fire extinction, etc. Any material reduction of the present heanry drain on the resource* of this Dominion can he browcht about onlv bv a general movement to that end. Snasmodie action will not attain the desired result. Concerted action following a* closely as possible the method* outlined nbove. together with the compulsory installation of automatic alarms or sprinklers in large warehouses, stores, emporiums, etc., o<rer a certain cubical capacity is the only renllv effective remedy. Malicious fnl«»» alarms of fire are on the increase. The return* #how a total of 132 alarms under that heading.