TRANSCRIPT

Daily Telegraph, Monday October 25, 1965

Fire Prevention and Protection: A Daily Telegraph Supplement

State has become a tinder box

Image of two men in silhouette fighting a fire with the caption 'Take a long look at this picture. Your carelessness - throwing a cigarette butt from a car or failing to put out a picnic fire properly - could produce a similar scene.'

New South Wales, tinder-dry and short of water, faces its highest bushfire danger this summer.

Recent rains have not altered the situation. Dry and dead timber and insufficient new growth make conditions hazardous.

About half the trees in the eastern highlands are dead and vegetation in most other areas is scorched.

If fire flares in the dead trees it will be severe and extremely hard to stop.

Last year 191 people died in fires and six of these deaths occurred in bushfires.

This year, 618,000 pounds, the largest grant ever made, has been provided for buying bushfire fighting equipment.

Half the money comes from insurance companies and the State Government and local councils contribute a quarter each.

Loss due to all types of fire is estimated at 30m pounds for the 1963-64 period.

The 1963-64 death toll of 191 was higher than the average for the previous five years.

The Australian Fire Protection Association claims the greatest proportion of fatal fires occurred in homes, flats, caravans and other living quarters.

These accounted for about one half of the total.

More than 20 percent of fatalities were caused in motor accidents when vehicles caught alight after crashing or overturning.

Two deaths resulted from small boat fires. The number of boat fires is increasing with main cause due to accidental spilling or leaking of petrol.

The association claims the cause of most fatal fires lies in errors of judgement or carelessness.

Forty people lost their lives in fires in the first two months of this year.

In the 1963-64 period insurance companies paid 20,138,000 pounds in claims - 3.5m pounds more than the previous year.

A conservative estimate of uninsured property and bushfire losses brings the national figure to about 30m pounds - an average weekly loss of 600,000 pounds.

Program of Fire Week Activities

Here is the official program of Fire Prevention Week activities.

MONDAY, October 25: Chief Secretary (Mr. E. A. Willis) will officially open Fire Prevention Week. A demonstration of hazard reduction in a fire and control of same by the Army, N.S.W. Fire Brigade and Bushfire Brigades.

TUESDAY, October 26: Chief Secretary (Mr. E. A. Willis) will hand over to the Molong Shire two new fire-fighting vehicles which have been made to the Forestry Commission's design. A display will be given by the Maritime Services Board Fire Floats in Sydney Cove between 12.40 p.m. and 1.40 p.m. An advanced Fire Control Course will be opened in co-operation with the university of New South Wales, Kensington.

WEDNESDAY, October 27: A parade of fire appliances representing the N.S.W. Fire Brigade, Forestry Commission, Blue Mountains Bush Fire Brigade, Department of Civil Aviation, Department of Army and the Fire & Accident Underwriters' Association. The parade will take place through the streets of Sydney between 11.00 a.m. and 12 noon. A Film Night has been arranged at the A.M.P. Theatrette by courtesy of the A.M.P. Society and in co-operation with the National Safety Council of New South Wales.

THURSDAY, October 28: A display by the Maritime Services Board Fire Floats will be given in Sydney Cove from 12.40 p.m. to 1.40 p.m. A demonstration of fire fighting with hand appliances will be given at the BP Aust. Ltd.'s Auburn Terminal.

FRIDAY, October 29: A Sydenham building will be evacuated in co-operation with the New South Wales Fire Brigade and Ambulance. Between 150 and 200 people will leave the building following an alarm.