House burnt as training exercise

About 120 members of the public watched volunteer firefighters from around Otago and Southland practise firefighting techniques at a derelict house near Milton yesterday, during a regional training exercise.

Crowds watching were welcomed, even encouraged when the Fire Service progressively burned down most of the house, in Tokoiti Rd, east of Milton, over about two hours, starting about 9.30am.

A series of individual rooms were set ablaze in several stages while firefighters practised firefighting and rescue skills involving a building which was partly on fire, organisers said.

The house, which would be demolished after the weekend exercise, had deliberately not been fully burned out because power lines were nearby.

About 36 firefighters from many parts of Otago and Southland, including Stewart Island, attended the two-day exercise, which helped to refresh existing skills and develop new skills, Dunedin-based Fire Service training organiser Ivan Richards said.

Members of the public and participating firefighters responded positively to the successful two-day exercise, Mr Richards said.

It was hoped that the house burning, which the public had been invited to watch, would raise community awareness of fire safety issues, and could also encourage some more Milton people to become volunteer firefighters, he said.

Over the weekend, firefighters were able to train in a series of scenarios, including a simulated sawmill fire, and a test of chemical decontamination procedures.

It had been planned to set fire to another derelict house, also donated by the landowner, north of Milton on Saturday, as part of the training.

However, that fire was not lit for safety reasons, given the presence of high winds, which could have blown embers and sparks towards other nearby properties and trees, he said.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz