A suspicious fire early today has left an historic Plimmerton church substantially damaged, with eight fire engines and  more than 30 firefighters called in to fight the blaze.

The Fire Service was called to St Andrew’s Anglican Church on Steyne Avenue, in the Porirua suburb, about 1.15am, when smoke was noticed by a passer-by.

When crews arrived they found a substantial fire burning in the ceiling cavity of the historic chapel, which is attached to a larger modern hall. .

A Fire Service spokesman told NZPA that the fire went to a third alarm which meant that eight appliances and more than 30 firefighters from Porirua and Plimmerton were in attendance, as well as aerial ladder appliances from Wellington and Thorndon.

Fire crews managed to bring the fire under control and save the rest of the church.

Plimmerton Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Carl Mills said that firefighters were able to get to work quickly, and fire was extinguished before it could spread far beyond the roof void.

“The chapel is significantly damaged, but we are relieved to have been able to prevent its destruction, and to have protected the rest of the complex from damage,” he said.

Mr Mills said that the chapel, built in 1916 and designed by Frederick de Jersey Clere, was one of the oldest buildings in Plimmerton, and an important hub for events in the community.

“It’s important to our community, and to me personally… I was married here,” he said..

The fire was being treated as suspicious, and was currently under investigation by police assisted by fire safety officers.

A church spokesman said services would be held in the nearby church hall.

The fire was the third major incident for the Plimmerton Volunteer Fire Brigade within the past week, following the Titahi Bay scrub fire and a fatal motor vehicle accident in Pukerua Bay on Friday morning.

Stuff.co.nz

A mother and her young son have serious burns after an early morning house fire in Porirua.

Fire crews were called to the blaze in Cannons Creek around 3am.

Senior Station Officer Boyd Atkinson says the pair were asleep when the fire broke out, but they managed to escape.

They were taken to Hutt Hospital in a stable condition with burns  mainly to their feet.

Atkinson says the house has been virtually destroyed and he could easily be dealing with two fatalities.

He says the home didnt appear to have any smoke alarms, which would have given the pair much earlier warning to get out.

Atkinson says early indications show the fire started in the kitchen area.

TVNZ.co.nz

A mother and child have been hospitalised with moderate burns after fleeing from their burning home in Porirua overnight.

Emergency services were called to the property on Sievers Grove in suburban Cannons Creek shortly before 3am, central fire communications shift manager Chris Dalton said.

The fire was “well involved” but the extent of the damage was not yet clear, he said.

There was no threat to neighbouring properties.
Fire safety officers were investigating.

Stuff.co.nz

A Porirua man lost his house and most of his possessions in a New Years Eve fire while he was at church with his young daughter.

Lameko Gaualofa was back at the Housing New Zealand home yesterday, picking through the remains. Tears streamed down his face as he found the charred photos of his four children. This is the hardest part, he said. Some of these photos were taken when they were babies. Now that most of them are all grown up I loved looking at the photos. They made me smile.

About 10pm, Mr Gaualofa was on his way to church from a friends house, and decided to stop at home to make sure the lights were off and windows closed. He left his house at 10.15pm with his six-year-old daughter. Fifteen minutes later the fire service was thereto fight an inferno.

I got home from church about midnight and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I was speechless. It didn’t make any sense.

A keen fisherman, he was upset that his new gear was lost in the blaze. But his old fishing gear stored in the basement survived the fire. So at least I can still go fishing, but its still pretty gut-wrenching to lose so much.

Porirua senior station officer Barry Murphy said three fire engines and 12 fire fighters were needed to fight the blaze.

It didn’t take long for the fire to get a bloody good hold. The scariest part was when we arrived we did not know if there were people inside, Mr Murphy said.
The neighbours weren’t sure either so until we knew there was no-one inside it gave us some tense moments.

Detective Sergeant Jason Dombroski said the fire, which destroyed about 80 per cent of the house, was being treated as suspicious. But until a scene investigation had been completed it could not be confirmed.

The Dominion Post – By Nathan Beaumont

The fire involved rooms on one side of the house, other rooms suffered smoke and heat damage.

The initial fire was extinguished quickly, but crews were in attendance into the new year with overhaul and extinguishing hot spots.

BIG RED: Senior Station Officer Trevor Sheehan, left, and Porirua fire fighter John Rowe are pleased with the arrival of their new fire truck.

Porirua Fire Station has been awaiting the arrival of a new truck for the last 20 years and it’s finally here.

Earlier this month, the station received the truck to replace an old, outdated model.

The brand new 2009 “P” Series Scania is a far cry from the 1985 Dennis model appliance volunteer firefighters were driving, Porirua firefighter John Rowe says.

“Everything about this new one is more user friendly and makes it easier for the guys to do their job. I think it’s a really good boost in morale for the guys to finally have something new.”

On July 1, firefighters put the appliance to the test in its first call out a large fire at Porirua Tow & Salvage yard in Elsdon.

“Because it has the new foam capacity, that none of our other trucks have had, it makes the water lighter and spreads it out further. Fighting a big fire like the one in Elsdon makes it a lot more effective.”

Fitted with a high-powered American-made Hale Pump, the appliance can deliver 4500 litres of water a minute, more than any truck they’ve had before, Mr Rowe says.

“We parked it out the back of the fire station next to the hydrant and it shot water way over the tops of the trees in the far distance. Some incredible strength.”

Kitted out with all the bells and whistles, the appliance flaunts a stronger engine, superior brakes and hydraulic transmission for smoother handling on hills, and seats that allow crew to get rigged into their gear without releasing their seatbelts.

The newest addition to the Porirua Fire Service is a true talking point at the station and in the community, Mr Rowe says.

BY ESTHER LAUAKI – KAPI-MANA NEWS