Fire and Emergency New Zealand - Lower Hutt
Community Organisation
Community Organisation
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Hi Neighbours,
Thanks for your patience with our closure of Seaview Road, we're pleased to say that we have now competely finished operations at the site, and Seaview Road is now open again to traffic.
Thanks are also due to the other agencies that provided assistance thoughout the day, … View moreHi Neighbours,
Thanks for your patience with our closure of Seaview Road, we're pleased to say that we have now competely finished operations at the site, and Seaview Road is now open again to traffic.
Thanks are also due to the other agencies that provided assistance thoughout the day, and also those businesses that had to close down due to the smoke hazard. A special thanks must go to the crew from the Salvation Army who turned out hot drinks, burgers, and bars of chocolate throughout most of the afternoon and night, and they only left as the final pack up started. Your efforts were greatly appreciated.
For those that are interested, we finally declared the fire out at around 8.30pm this evening, after a great deal of effort by both our own crews and onsite staff to pull the steel mountain down and extinguish all the hotspots within.
Hi Neighbour's, just a short update regarding the fire at the metal recycling plant on Seaview Road. At this stage crews from all Lower Hutt Fire Stations are in attendance, along with with several from the Wellington Fire Area. Several premises along Seaview Road in the path of the smoke … View moreHi Neighbour's, just a short update regarding the fire at the metal recycling plant on Seaview Road. At this stage crews from all Lower Hutt Fire Stations are in attendance, along with with several from the Wellington Fire Area. Several premises along Seaview Road in the path of the smoke stream have been evacuated and will probably remain so for most of the day. As crews are drawing water from multiple water mains and hydrants along both sides of Seaview Road, it will also probably remain closed for most of the day.
Council staff are in attendance, providing guidance on water supplies, water run off, and any other council related issues.
So far this morning we have been in a defensive mode, trying to stop the fire spreading further into the pile of scrap metal. With full daylight and reinforced water supplies, and with assistance from onsite staff, we will now begin moving into a fire attack mode and begin pulling the pile of scrap metal apart to get to the seat of the fire.
For those affected by the road closure and evacuations, we thank you for your co-operation and patience.
Fire Crews attended another “near- miss” unattended cooking fire this afternoon at a property in Naenae. Thankfully, a couple of guys going past saw the fire in the porch of a house, and called 111 to tell Fire and Emergency NZ about it.
By the time of the intervention by the passers-by, the … View moreFire Crews attended another “near- miss” unattended cooking fire this afternoon at a property in Naenae. Thankfully, a couple of guys going past saw the fire in the porch of a house, and called 111 to tell Fire and Emergency NZ about it.
By the time of the intervention by the passers-by, the occupants of the house had been alerted to the fire by the sounding of their smoke alarms, but they had no idea of where the smoke was coming from.
The fire itself was in a frying pan on a gas cooker in the porch at the rear of the house. The porch suffered minor damage, but the fire was only seconds away from breaking through the back door and into the house.
“Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fire and fire fatalities in New Zealand”
In this case, the smoke alarms would have prevented a fatality, but the unattended cooking, even though it was outside the back door, could have led to the loss of a family home and most of their possessions.
So there’s two lessons from this fire call today:
1. “Keep looking while you’re cooking!”
2. Smoke Alarms Save Lives
And if fire should happen to break out in your home…
Get out and stay out
In a fire, get everybody out and call 111.
And whatever you do, stay out.
Daylight saving has ended, the first southerly storm for the winter is here, and for many of us, its time to get the fire going or the electric heater out. But just like summer, winter brings its own unique set of fire dangers.
Please take some time to think about our fire safety tips while you … View moreDaylight saving has ended, the first southerly storm for the winter is here, and for many of us, its time to get the fire going or the electric heater out. But just like summer, winter brings its own unique set of fire dangers.
Please take some time to think about our fire safety tips while you work on keeping your family safe and warm.
• If you’re using electricity to heat your home, don’t overload power points – use multi-boxes instead.
• Check that any heater is free of dust and in safe working order. If you’re using a portable gas heater, it should be serviced every 12 months – now is a good time.
• If your gas heater doesn’t light straight away, turn it off and try again. Don’t let the gas build up before trying to relight it.
• Never cover any heating appliance.
• Clean chimneys and flue before your first fire of the winter (There are a couple of recommendations for chimney sweeps here on Neighbourly).
• Don’t throw rubbish into the fireplace – particularly batteries and aerosol cans.
• Ashes can take up to five days to cool – always empty fireplace or woodburner ashes into a metal bin and pour water over them before you dispose of them.
Remember the heater-metre rule – always keep furniture, curtains, clothes and children at least one metre away from heaters and fireplaces.
Keep warm and stay safe, and if you need to know more about winter fire safety, contact your nearest Fire Station
It’s too soon to say that summer is over, but the nights are definitely getting cooler, and some of us are starting to think about getting that electric blanket back onto the bed.
For us, that’s a good time to remind everyone about these electric blanket safety tips because we know that worn … View moreIt’s too soon to say that summer is over, but the nights are definitely getting cooler, and some of us are starting to think about getting that electric blanket back onto the bed.
For us, that’s a good time to remind everyone about these electric blanket safety tips because we know that worn and old electric blankets can cause a fire, and possibly even an electric shock.
So as you get yours out of the cupboard, have a good look at how safe it is, and if need be, replace it in those pre-winter sales that can’t be very far away.
• Worn and old electric blankets can cause an electric shock, fire and possibly even death.
• At the first sign of wear have your electric blanket checked by a qualified electrician.
• Replace your electric blanket every five years with newer heat-protected models, which are safer and more energy efficient.
• Don't place heavy objects on the bed while the blanket is on.
• Make sure the blanket is always flat on the bed and that controls or cords are not twisted or caught between the mattress and the base of the bed.
• Twisted cords are a common cause of electric blanket fires.
Keep yourselves and your loved ones warm this winter, keep safe, and remember, if the worst should happen in your home…
Get out and stay out
In a fire, get everybody out and call 111.
And whatever you do, stay out.
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