Schools placed on arson alert

Tauranga fire risk management officer Bill Rackham demonstrating what people need to do before connecting LPG bottles to barbecues, portable cookers and heaters. Photo / George Novak

Fire safety officials have launched a nationwide arson prevention campaign targeting schools, which they say are four times more likely to be the target of an arson than commercial buildings.

Tauranga's fire risk management officer Bill Rackham said summer was "arson season" and schools were particularly vulnerable during the summer holiday break.

Mr Rackham said schools often had a spate of small fires on their grounds, such as rubbish bin fires, before a major arson attack.

Mr Rackham said there had been between 25 to 40 suspicious or deliberately lit fires at schools in the Bay of Plenty/Waikato region since 2012, estimated to have cost $20.7 million.

"Most school fires are started using rubbish and other easy-to-burn items already on school grounds," he said.

"We recommend keeping all fixed bins and wheelie bins at least 5 metres away from all buildings, and lock and secure bins so they can't be moved up against structures."

Mr Rackham also urged schools to report any fires or vandalism to police and the fire service immediately, as unreported incidents were likely to continue.

Kaimai School principal Dane Robertson, who is also the president of the Western Bay Principal Association, said the arson-prevention campaign was a good reminder to all schools.

"There is always going to be a rogue element ... which you are never going to stop. However, most offenders are opportunists and if schools can take some simple, inexpensive steps to reduce the chances of becoming a victim, then it makes sense to follow the fire service's advice."

Mr Rackham said two recent arson cases in the district highlighted how devastating the loss could be to the community.

On July 5, a resource room at Whakatane Intermediate was destroyed and a classroom badly damaged after an arsonist struck the school.

In April and May, a spate of arsons were carried out by two men in Tauranga causing more than $100,000 in damage. The attacks involved a Maungatapu home, a mobility scooter and rubbish bins at Tauranga Boys' College.

One man was jailed for 44 months and the other was sentenced to be held in a Hamilton mental health centre for 34 months.

In June 2012, the Life Education Trust's mobile classroom parked at Brookfield Primary School was gutted after a teenage arsonist struck, resulting in up to $260,000 of damage.

Mr Rackham said the fire service was also concerned about a couple of recent explosions involving LPG bottles and two house fires involving gas bottle leaks.

He said the common theme was poorly connected regulators to the cylinder valve.

"A leaking gas connection could be fatal," he said.

Mr Rackham is urging people to repeat the "soapy water test" done at filling stations before using portable heaters, cookers and barbecues, and ensure regular maintenance checks.