"Fire" Broadcast Appreciated

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 3, 31 July 1931, Page 5

"Fire" Broadcast Appreciated

Z2YA's Enterprise Evokes Commendation

UDGING from the amount of cor- { respondence received by the Broad- ‘ casting Company, 2YA’s enterprise in broadeasting a commentary on the big fire on Saturday, July 18, was greatly appreciated. Letters have come from all parts of New Zealand. Many a countryman sat up late that night listening-in to a description of a city fire and "saw" more than if he had been an actual eye-witness. One of the most interesting tributes comes from the staff of the Hamilton Fire Brigade, 240 miles away. One can imagine these fire-fighters, like war horses scenting battle afar off, sitting round the loudspeaker in their station listening to a vivid description, in the background of which was the shrieking of fire-engine sirens, the orders given to the firemen, the roar of motorears bringing thousands of spectators, the hiss of fire hoses in action and the many intermittent explosions. The letter from Hamilton reads :~ "The members of the staff of the Hamilton Fire Brigade desire to convey to you their appreciation of the excellent description of the fire of the New Zealand Loan anil Mercantile Company’s premisex, which was broadcast from station 2YA. "Reception was very good, and we could follow the progress of events almost as well as if we were actually present as eye-witnesses. "Please convey our congratulations to the announcer of station 2YA for the excellent manner in which he dealt with a most unusual and difficult subject." HE broadcast was certainly one of the most thrilling ever listened

0 Commenting on it the "Christhurech Times" said :- "Probably for the first time in New Zealand the scenes at a deetructive fire were broadcast on Saturday night. A few minutes before eleven o’clock station 2YA, Wellington, announced that the large building of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company in Sustomhouse Quay was on fire. At {1 p.m, the announcer took a microphone on to the parapet of the studio building, and, for nearly {wo hours, described the progress of the fire as it swept through to Weatherston Street. The shrieking of the sirens of the fire-engine could be heard as additional machines arrived, the size of the outbreak requiring practically the whole of the fire-fighting equipment in Wellington. An engine was even brought from the Miramar station, seven miles away. According to the announcer, the flames were leaping fifty feet into the air above the building, and the whole of that portion of the city was illuminated by the fire. "A strong north-west wind was blowing in gusts and was carrying the smoke right across the harbour. ‘The screaming of the wind amid the tops of the nearby build- ings could be heard, while from the street below the studio there was a continual roar of motor-cars arriving with spectators. Orders given to the firemen could be heard above the noise of the traffic, and all the time a vivid word picture of the ever-changing scene was being given by the announcer. This unexpected addition to the broadeast programme was exceptionally interesting."