CHRISTCHURCH FIRE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 3 August 1929, Page 7

CHRISTCHURCH FIRE

■PETROL STILL BURNING , : w ; , FIERCELY „ • •' .. . ' ■ FIREMEN'S SERIOUS RISKS ■V’ 1 ’, (By Telegraph—Press Association) > CHRISTCHURCH, Tliis Day. ' The petrol fire was still blazing fiercely at .11.30 last night. Firemen ; were busy playing water on the burning mass. . They have little hope of extinguishing .the flames before .all the petrol is burned, but at the bottom of the pile there are a . number of big drums of motor spirit' which must almost) inevitably explode sooner or I, er > the hope of the firemen is, to keep the temperature of the mass as low as possible to, delay the explosion, ' hoping that if or when the.drnms ignite there will be as little as passible other burning petrol about. The rislc_ of serious danger is not yet passed. No one has been badly hurt • yet, but the firemen hourly run serious risks. VIGILANCE COMMITTEE SUGGESTED CHRISTCHURCH, This pay. TThile the fire the oil store * of Brown and Co. was raging yesterday steps were taken by the City Council’s chief inspector of dangerous" goods to seize all petrol stored outside tho main building. This was in pursuance of authority conferred on the City Council by the Dangerous Goods Act in cases where the quantity stored is in excess of that permitted. * As a result of incendiarism it has been suggested that the City Council, Chamber of Commerce, and Progress League should co-operate in the formation of a vigilance committee to assist the police authorities. ' Another suggestion made is that two hundred special constables should be ■' . sworn in to assist in patrolling the city and suburbs. Air McDveney, Commissioner of Police, arrived in Christchurch this morning. It is his intention to make personal investigations regarding incendiary fires and to make specal arrangements for police protection.