Dangerous goods blaze greets Raetihi brigade

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 387, 21 May 1991, Page 1

Dangerous goods blaze greets Raetihi brigade

The type of blaze that firemen dread greeted the Raetihi Brigade in the early hours of last Friday morning. A truck and trailer unit had run off the road at Horopito and its cargo of various dangerous goods ignited from the sparks of the downed power lines.

Local farm manager Rod Edwards was first on the scene of the smash, where the Petone based truck had slid on its side and into a ditch between the Horopito turn-off and school, taking out a power pole. The accident happened at about 12.45am.

Mr Edwards, no stranger to major fires himself having survived his house being destroyed just a few months ago, helped the driver, Terrance Grimstrup who he found lying in the middle of the road, while burning paint tins exploded nearby amidst

fierce flames and smoke. The driver was taken to Wanganui with abrasions and a suspected dislocated pelvis. Automotive paint on the trailer provided the \ fuel for the 100 metrelong raging roadside fire, the heat from which was described as colossal. It took two Raetihi Volunteer Fire Brigade appliances, plus the Ohakune brigade's water tanker more than an hour to control the inferno. After draining the two appliances plus the tanker the fire fighters

resorted to a tank at the back of the school. Raetihi fire chief Alex Weir said there were reports of explosions which were believed to be from gas cylinders but after the fire none of the cylinders were found to be explosion-dam-aged. There were 53 empty and seven full gas cylinders, some of hydrogen and some pesticide, on the truck as well as cartons of citrus fruit, used clothing, tomato sauce. The smash created an instant rubbish dump on the side of the road. But despite the writtenoff trailer the cab of the unit survived. The brigade was recalled to the fire at abouf 4.30am when one of the trailer's tyres had re-ig-nited. A dangerous goods inspector was called from Wellington to inspect the site on Friday and it wasn't until 7pm that night that the brigade was stood down from stand-by, after the site had been cleaned up.