The fatal fire at the Icepak Tamahere coolstores has highlighted a lack of information in the Waikato about risks posed by buildings and where they are sited in the district.
In a report to the Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, Hamilton chief fire officer Roy Breeze said the Fire Service’s risk assessment of the Icepak coolstores had not shown it as a significant threat.
The April 5 explosion and fire, which killed firefighter Derek Lovell, injured seven others, burnt for seven days, nearly spread to a nearby house and risked polluting ground, water and air, has prompted a re-think.
The siting of coolstores using highly flammable refrigerants as was the case at Icepak Tamahere, and other buildings in the Waikato that could pose a risk to their surroundings needed to be reviewed, heard the civil defence group, made up of representatives from councils throughout the Greater Waikato.
Fire site and school
The fire site showing nearby homes and school
Breeze said a house near the coolstore buildings had been saved “although this had appeared unlikely for a significant period of time.”
A review of building risks and requirements for siting them was needed by council in conjunction with the Fire Service, Breeze said.
Rural Tamahere does not have high-pressure reticulated water but that would have made no difference to the outcome of the Icepak fire, Breeze said. However, a building of different construction may have resulted in less damage. And if the buildings had been fitted with a sprinkler system that may have provided more time before the fire had a complete hold.
“Building design and fire protection systems (sprinklers) are important mitigation measures to arrest fires in the early stages,” the civil defence group was told.
The full report to the civil defence group is here (pdf) civil-defence-report
