Fatal Burnham Army Camp Fire: Nearest Unmanned Fire Station

The fire station closest to where one person died in a fierce fire at Burnham military camp was unmanned when it broke out.

A teenage girl is reported to have died in the fire south of Christchurch that started shortly after 2am yesterday, and three other people were injured.

Police and Fire and Emergency investigators are working to establish the cause of the fire.

The New Zealand Defense Force confirmed that the Burnham military fire station was unmanned at the time of the fire, meaning the first station able to assist was Rolleston, at 2:23am, 11 minutes after receiving the call to attend.

The Burnham Military Camp fire chief arrived at the scene at 2:40 a.m., in a Command vehicle that does not have firefighting capabilities, he said.

The Defense Forces said the military station had been operating at reduced capacity since January this year.

“This is partly due to the need to provide respite for staff and low levels of emergency response staff,” a spokesperson said.

“In this way, staff provide coverage between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.”

The decision to operate with reduced coverage was consulted and supported by Fire and Emergency area commanders, the Defense Force said.

He said the Memorandum of Understanding between the Defense Forces and FENZ ensured that FENZ provided cover during periods of reduced Defense Force coverage.

“Burnham Emergency Response Troop maintains the ability to support a local FENZ response to major events and/or emergencies during discrete periods, such as during the response to the Port Hills fires earlier this year.

“That response was supported by two NZDF rural fire apparatus and up to six firefighters rotating daily,” he said.

The Defense Forces have warned the Government that they are in a dire state, describing it as vulnerable, and the Navy as extremely fragile.

rnz.co.nz