A FIRE-BUG AT LARGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 733, 5 August 1929, Page 8

A FIRE-BUG AT LARGE

INCENDIARY fires in Christchurch during the past three weeks have been almost as frequent as earthquake tremors on the north-western coastal slope of the South Island. So far, thirteen outbreaks, including several conflagrations, have occurred with much destruction of property and material. The damage wrought already exceeds £50,000. Though many destructive fires in normal circumstances throughout New Zealand have been of a suspicious nature as to their origin, it is quite clear that the present blazing epidemic in Christchurch can be attributed fairly to an individual fire-bug or, possibly, to several pyromaniacs. For the curse of successful incendiarism (successful in the sense that the perpetrator is not discovered and punished with disciplinary and deterrent severity) is that one lunatic fire inspires other criminal maniacs to follow a bad example. The monetary loss from property fires in New Zealand every year is so grotesquely notorious that everything possible should he done to check and quickly overcome an outbreak of lurid lunacy. In the past ten years close on £10,000,000 has been devoured by that sort of fire so often described picturesquely as “a spectacular blaze.” The gross loss may now be estimated at £1,000,000 a year. Few countries in the world have a worse record in proportion to population. And fewer countries still, on the same basis, have a greater fear of property fires. The tire insurance cover now aggregates annually over £383,000.000. There are fortythree insurance offices doing good business in this country. The citizens pay rather more than £1,350.000 a year in premiums. Fire boards and fire brigades, all costing much money for upkeep on the most efficient lines, are nearly as numerous as tax-collec-tors. There are twice as many firemen as there are doctors or dentists in the Dominion. And still extensive wealth goes up in smoke.

As far as the Christchurch outrages are concerned, the community depends largely on the police for protection against very active pyromaniacs. Many business men have appointed additional night-watehmen. and there has been talk of establishing a numerous vigilance committee. Might ,it not be promisingly helpful if the fire insurance companies, including the State, proffered a substantial reward for the detection and arrest of the culprit or culprits? Though the companies’ losses have been grievous for years, their profits and dividends have been good. A reward of a thousand pounds at least would not imperil the prosperity of forty-three companies. On the contrary, it might bring about very soon a great reduction in prospective loss. A madness for starting big fires can prove to be extraordinarily expensive. An effort should be made by all authorities to secure the fire maniacs in Christchurch and provide them with a long job at blasting rock in a prison quarry.