June 17, 2014
Opotiki wharenui fire a near miss
The Fire Service’s iwi liaison officer says a fire at Opotiki College was a near miss.
The fire which caused extensive damage to a wharenui appears to have been caused by a mattress thrown over a heating vent.
Piki Thomas says it was fortunate the 40 students who were due to spend the night there were not inside when the fire broke out just before 8pm on Saturday, as the fire alarm was not working and some of the exits were blocked by furniture.
He says the fire started despite the school’s effort to reduce the risk from the heating system.
They took steps to manage and mitigate that risk by locking the heating unit away but somehow somebody circumnavigated what they did and they turned the heaters on and we understand that that is probably how it started," he says.
Piki Thomas says the Opotiki, and another fire last weekn at Mana Ariki Marae near Taumarunui, highlights the need for vigilance in marae and communal sleeping areas.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH PIKI THOMAS CLICK ON THE LINK
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