ANNUAL REPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1933, Page 3

ANNUAL REPORT

INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES

FIRE WASTE FOR YEAR;

WELLINGTON, November 18

According toi t.h-2; report presented ito the House-by Mr R. .Giriing-Butcher , : inspector of-fire brigades, the fire-waste for the year 1932 is the lowest since 1922, and represents a loss a head of population of 11s 5 cl, compared with an average ■ of 18s Id' for the previous i five-year period- The national loss by fire /during 1932 wis .£867,714, compared' with £1,292,094 for the previous year, and an average oi £1,332,032 <for the previous tfivc-year period. The estimate® made are ( conservative, being obtained : by taking the-actual payments of insurance companies, and adding a percentage of 12J for- uninsured loss. ,\x It-he /United States . the ; average . like-loss for the year 1932-was 13s sd, and-an Canada 16s Bd.

Fire losses in -first board districts, compiled for the financial year ending March 31, 1933, show an even greater proportionate reduction, the trigs for, the-year, being only £201,738 (5s lid a head), compared- with £508.407 114 s lid , a head), for the preceding five-year period. ■ .CAUSES .OF THE DECREASE. In commenting on the causes pfthe, decrease, the report states that owing. ‘to the drop in property values,}/' .insurant l| companies’ pay- : ’mfehfs "rhnst (bp ' deduced, 'as they are based on the value at the time of loss. : The figures which ' show a ' red action of - one-third on the P re ‘ •vious year indicate a reduction in fire-waste, as it is most unlikely that the reduction due to property values would exceed 20 per cent. The number of .fires in fire hoard district* has fallen from au aver,ago of 1345 to 737 for the year under review or a reduction of 45 per Jcent. The fre prevention campaign inaugurated at the end of 1931 by 1 the Government was undoubtedly. one of the most important factors *-in. effecting the reduction shown..,. From an examination of the figures relating to - causes, of-/fire :it- is very clear that the ordinary heating or cooking firepbc.o ,is j the principal ; risk existing-under New Zealand conditions, and 'jno permanent reduction in the Dom'nion fire loss will he achieved until this fact is fully realised. The hazard Is described' as hydra-headed, pnd among it s many manifestations' are the ignition *>*' clothes being aired in front of a fire, fires caused through sparks thrown out, : defective chiin•ntjys land Ji'iprths, fuel projecting from or placed near 'the fir.g, box, b’dt ashes placed in wooden containers, ,fat boiling over, defective boilers ,or liot . water system's, and lighting fires with kerosene..... ■'The :m/i,ority of fires recorded as .‘‘cause unknowh” come’.uudei...this heading

INCENDIARISM. . Very great, care has, • been taken by the police in making- inquiries into the hon a- fid eg of fires, and , the opinion ,is expressed thafc the publicity -'given, by these investigations', and the ..occasional public inquiries before a -coroner, have a very definite .■-.value..-.'ms -a deterrent from incendiarism. Fifteen coroners' inquiries were „ held into fires, as against five tlie previous year, and 21 convictions for arsbn were obtained, as against 16. . The number of -cases of injury ,tp. persons front Ifires was considerably lower than in previous years. Home dry-cleaning with petrol was the most prolific source of injury, but fortunately no fatal fires occurred from this cause. It appears to be impossible to: educate;.; the public • to ,an appreciation--ofthe ■ danger, both to persoii and property; arising'- from the use <of -petrol inside build'hes. The personnel of New Zealand fire brigades cc-nsists mainly of -volunteers, there being only 250 permanent'firemen (of whom 218 are members of -city brigades),' -compared with 2215 volunteers.