Fire_Services_1965-1966 — Page 38

m.v. 'General Sikorski' (6,684 gross tons) moored to buoy A 26 in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.

137. The fire involved jute bales and hide scraps and the heat and smoke made it quite impossible for Fire Service personnel to work in the hold. The hold was therefore battened down, all ventilators sealed and large quantities of carbon dioxide gas were injected into the hold for nearly 36 hours. On 6th November, 1965 at 13.17 hours by using an improvised air lock of canvas and timber breathing apparatus teams were able to enter No. 2 hold from an adjacent hold without allowing the dissipation of the carbon dioxide gas, thereby continuing to inhibit development of the fire whilst engaged in close assault thereon. The breathing apparatus teams applied foam to those portions of the cargo still burning and damped down the rest of the cargo with water. Although operations at this fire lasted over 43 hours and conditions due to smoke and heat were extremely punishing to personnel, damage to the ship's structure was negligible and the cargo damage confined to a relatively small proportion of the jute bales.

4th Alarm--Nathan Road, Kowloon

138. The last fire in the calendar year 1965 occurred in the early hours of the morning of 31st December, 1965 in a 12 storey reinforced concrete multi-occupancy building used as department store, night club, restaurant, offices and a hotel.

139. On arrival Fire Service units found part of the 5th floor well alight and the entire premises smoke-logged. A Search and Rescue team forcing a passage through the seat of the fire heard faint tappings which appeared to be coming from a lift shaft. On prising open the hall doors of the lift the team found the inner lift doors fully open and 3 unconscious persons on the floor of the lift. The 3 casualties were removed to hospital by Fire Service ambulance where 1 was certified dead on arrival.

140. The 3 casualties were hotel watchmen and were on the roof at the time of the fire and hearing noises downstairs they descended in the lift to the 5th floor at which point failure of the electrical system due to the fire stalled the lift. The men forced open the lift doors and were met by a wall of fire which swept into the lift and prevented them from completely closing the doors.

141. The fire was extinguished in a little over one hour after the time of call. The damage was estimated at $72,600 and the cause of the

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