ARCHER STREET FIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 June 1938, Page 6

ARCHER STREET FIRE

INQUIRY BY FIRE BOARf>. SUPERINTENDENT'S STATEMENT ACCEPTED. At its meeting last night, the Masterton Fire Board held an inquiry into the cause of the delay of one engine in reaching a fire in Archer Street on June 17 and the matter of the arrival of the first machine. The discussion was taken in committee, and it was later announced that the investigation showed that the statement made by the Superintendent, Mr T. B. Clark, and published in the “Times-Age’’ on June 18 was correct. The superintendent stated that the man on duty at the station did not transmit the call' correctly and although he was a member of the crew . of the first engine to leave the station, he did not redirect it until it reached a street alarm box in South Road. The machine immediately turned back and proceeded to the fire. Actually, the second machine to leave the station arrived at the fire first, and that was why there was only one man aboard, although others were proceeding to the fire by bicycle. When the first machine to leave the station reached the fire a lead had just been connected up, and the fire was quickly brought under control.