May 17, 2023
Faulty alarms increased fire risk
A Māori man who says he was the last to be rescued from the Loafers Lodge fire in Wellington has told Rongotai MP Paul Eagle fire alarms would go off regularly in the building – and he had assured residents on his floor that the fire was real this time.
The fire in the Newtown boarding house is believed to have claimed at least six lives.
The fire service says while the building met minimum safety standards, not having a sprinkler system could have been a crucial factor.
Mr Eagle says the man delayed his exit so he could check everyone on his floor was taking the alarm seriously.
“Apparently they get regular fire alarms, so sometimes those who’ve been there a bit longer than a few nights know that it could be a false alarm, so he had to say ‘hey, hey, this is the real thing this time’,” he says.
Paul Eagle says the man, who had moved to Wellington from Hokianga after Cyclone Gabrielle, was one of many he spoke to at the Newtown sports stadium – where a base was set up to help victims.