Fire_Services_1964-1965 — Page 19

72. This fire, which raged for more than 12 hours, originated on the 4th floor, where some 200 tons of P.V.C. and poly-ethylene in sheet form was stored together with several tons of 'Poly Plastics' in various states of conversion into finished goods.

73. Quantities of smoke produced by the plastics not only drove first-attending crews out of the building, but over an area of more than half a square mile literally turned day into night. Ethenoid plastics are relatively simple to extinguish when one can approach within a few feet of them. Long range tactics, made necessary, by the impenetrable smoke served only to solidify the surface of the plastics which continued to generate enormous quantities of smoke and heat.

74. Complete flooding of the 4th floor would have provided a quick solution; such tactics were, however, both impractical and undesirable as the 'fire and floor loading' already exceeded that for which the building was designed. As it was, in spite of considerable care exercised, heat caused concrete to break down, exposing and softening the reinforcing rods, resulting in the top three floors beginning to 'slide'. Subsequently these floors had to be demolished. The only tactics possible in the circumstances was to discharge sufficient water into the 4th floor to contain the heat built up to acceptable limits for this class of building, and to allow the plastics to burn out under control. These tactics engaged the Fire Service for some 19 hours. Fire Service objectives (namely prevention of collapse of upper floors into the main thoroughfare below) was achieved and fire damage was restricted to the upper floors.

75. The origin of the fire was never determined, and the heavy monetary loss was entirely due to irresponsible action on the part of management in the over stocking of raw materials which for all practical purposes turned the 4th floor of the building with a relatively low fire load grading into a dangerous goods godown.

5TH ALARM-HONG KONG ISLAND

76. About 2 p.m. on the 23rd October 1964 a fire broke out in a 3-storey old Chinese tenement in the congested area of the Central District, Hong Kong Island at Wo On Lane. By the time the Fire Service arrived three tenement blocks were involved and in danger of collapse. Notwithstanding the quite incredible difficulties encountered due to the presence of tens of thousands of onlookers coupled with an enormous disruption of traffic, the fire was brought under control in a little under one hour. A near tragedy took place when an overseas Officer going to the rescue of a Fireman (who following a partial collapse

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