Firefighters feel loss

RESPECT: Te Awamutu firefighters flying their Fire Service flag at half-mast to honour fellow firefighter Derek Lovell who lost his life in the Tamahere fire on Saturday. 099081AD

By Dean Taylor

While Te Awamutu firefighters are still involved in bringing the Tamahere Icepak fire under control, they are also feeling the loss of a Hamilton colleague who died from his injuries on Saturday.

Hamilton senior station officer Derek Lovell (49) and seven crew members were hit by a huge explosion at the plant while investigating the initial call to a ‘gas leak’. At that stage there was no sign of a fire.

Mr Lovell received fatal injuries when he took the full force of the explosion. All but one of the rest of the crew are still hospitalised.

The fire quickly spread through the huge plant and as the call went out, Te Awamutu’s appliance crew and tanker were next on the scene after Hamilton firefighters. Fire chief Ian Campbell says it was a frustrating ordeal - trying to contain rather than fight the fire because of the lack of water. Mr Campbell says Te Awamutu’s crew did manage to make a good save to a house just over the fence from the huge coolstore.

Later in the evening the bad news about Mr Lovell was also spreading amongst the crews at the scene. Most of the firefighters knew the deceased firefighter as he had trained many of the volunteers over the years and was part of professional firefighting teams which assisted at serious fires outside the city.

The fire was fuelled by a number of products in cool storage, including meats and dairy products - all fatty and all volatile. Crews were restricted to keeping their distance and using whatever water was available to save a separate coolstore and minimise spread.

Te Awamutu firefighters were also involved in damming drains and cesspits to minimise pollution of waterways.

Mr Campbell says the heat was tremendous, but while the fire looked dangerous and there were intermittent explosions, it wasn’t especially dangerous.

One of his jobs on Sunday was a safety officer - moving between sectors and liaising with sector controllers to make sure firefighters weren’t exposing themselves to risk.

Deputy Te Awamutu fire chief Murry Gillard was on the frontline from the start on the side road to the plant adjacent to the state highway. He says Te Awamutu’s tanker was soon joined by every available fire tanker (Cambridge, Pirongia, Otorohanga, Morrinsville, Matamata, Te Aroha, Paeroa and Tirau), truck and trailer tanker units from Fonterra and even private tankers to try and keep firefighters supplied with water.

Police closed one side of State Highway 1 so tankers could fill in relay from hydrants at the Riverlea Road intersection and quickly return to the scene. Fonterra tankers filled from Te Awamutu, Te Rapa and Waitoa factories. Each tank gave just five to 10 minutes supply.

Te Awamutu firefighters worked into the night in shifts and then resumed the next day. At the time of going to press Te Awamutu was still crewing their tanker in shifts - support they will offer as long as it is needed.

Te Awamutu’s two senior firefighters made the point that amongst the tragedy there was a real sense of camaraderie. Mr Gillard says crews were split up and everyone worked together for the overall good. Sector leaders liaised directly with the command post from where the overall plan was co-ordinated.

Mr Campbell says other support was also appreciated, especially the likes of the Auckland Fire Police canteen and locals who worked to keep firefighters nourished. They also benefited from the hangi which had been put down for the abandoned Tamahere School Gala.

But with the loss of a colleague in the back of their minds, firefighters will be hoping this fire will be the catalyst for more stringent on-site safety measures.