Issue 48 - New Zealand Fire Service

Historic burn
An historic places building in Arrowtown narrowly avoided being burned to the ground
after the quick response of firefighters to a call-out in early January.
Firefighters from Arrowtown,
Queenstown and Frankton were
called to the Category Two listed
Stables Restaurant just after 9pm
after staff had found a clothes dryer
“full of flames.”
Malcolm Troop was celebrating his
birthday at the restaurant when he
and his guests were told to evacuate.
He dialled 111 immediately.
“They were here in about three
minutes he said.”
Firefighters brought the blaze under
control about 30 minutes after the
callout, although it did require
the smashing of upstairs windows to
gain access.
Arrowtown DCFO Wayne Patterson
was happy with the response of his
firefighters.
If appliances had arrived any later,
other historic buildings close by
would have been in danger of catching
fire as well, he said.
Southern Region’s Fire Safety Officer,
Barry Gibson, said the building had
neither smoke alarms nor a sprinkler
system.
Despite the destruction of about
15 historic buildings each year in
New Zealand from fire, protection
for them is up to the owners and
local authorities, says the area
manager of the Historic Places Trust.
Incidents
Statistics provided by the Trust
showed about 93% of heritage
buildings involved in fires did not
have fire or heat detection systems.
New Zealand Insurance Council
insurance manager John Lucas said
it was up to individual insurance
companies to specify fire protec-
tion – his organisation did not
impose requirements but provided
guidelines.
There were no requirements for
historic buildings or restaurants to
have smoke alarms or sprinkler
systems, but there was generally a
recommendation to have alarms
and sprinklers in accommodation
premises, he said.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine February 2009
Picture courtesy of NZPA 17