29 May, 2007

Pouakani / Mangakino Marae Fire a timely reminder for all

The loss of irreplaceable taonga and a whare tawhito (heritage building) is a timely wake up call for all marae, says the New Zealand Fire Service.

At approximately 7am this morning the historic Tamateapokai whenua meeting house on the Pouakani marae, burnt to the ground in Mangakino with few of the carvings being spared by the fire. Fire appliances from Tokoroa, Taupo and Rotorua joined the local Mangakino brigade to quell the fire.

This is an unfortunate but timely reminder for all marae to manage the risk of fire for our tupuna whare (ancestral houses) said Piki Thomas, Fire Service national advisor Maori.

An ideal fire safety measure in this instance would have been a sprinkler system, which would have controlled or put the fire out early.

The best solution to prevent fires is to practise fire safe behaviour around the marae. All marae should be prepared in case a fire occurs. Plans should be made ahead of time to protect people, buildings and other taonga.

"The incident at Mangakino was particularly heartbreaking because the marae had irreplaceable carvings and photos of ancestors lost in the fire. Unfortunately we dont expect to find much in the way of retrievable items once the overhaul of the building is completed, however on a positive note it was pleasing to see that the marae had stored the mattresses in a separate area which effectively reduced the amount of fuel to the fire said Piki Thomas.

The Fire Service urges all marae to consider fire safety for their buildings - particularly for sleeping areas.

"Marae should remember the Maori concept of manaaki tangata - the ethos of caring for one another - when thinking about marae fire safety. Having people sleep in marae buildings without early fire warning devices ridicules the concept of manaaki tangata.

Most marae are constructed with little or no fire rated materials to reduce fire spread and even when they are the open plan layout isn't designed to stem the flow of fire.

Marae need early fire detection systems to identify fires while they are small and an evacuation plan to provide a safe and speedy exit, said Piki Thomas.

The Fire Service recommends that all marae meeting houses install smoke detection to give early warning of a fire and sprinklers to control any outbreak of fire. They should also have an evacuation plan to ensure efficient evacuation of the building in the event of a fire.

Fire Service staff are available to discuss marae fire safety options for each marae. This is a free service that is available to marae committees and trusts. Contact your local fire safety officer or Piki Thomas for more information.

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