Fenz will stage a controlled fire at this Mabel St house in Levin tonight.
Fenz will stage a controlled fire at this Mabel St house in Levin tonight.
Television crews and media are setting up outside a house in Levin that is about to burst into flame.
21 Mabel St is in pretty bad shape, which has provided Fire and Emergency New Zealand with the perfect opportunity to stage a controlled fire that will be televised live to the nation.
Fenz is partnering with TVNZ’s Seven Sharp to show viewers the reality of fire, live on television at 7pm tonight. Presenters Lucas De Jong and Hilary Barry are onsite for the controlled burn.
While the operation was controlled and strict health and safety procedures were in place, there was still room for someone in the Seven Sharp crew with a sense of humour to have a bit of fun. Either that or the previous owners of the house were huge Jeremy Wells fans.
Numerous pictures of Barry’s co-host are on the walls inside the house.
There is a picture of a youthful Jeremy Wells on the walls of the Mabel St house in Levin.
De Jong, donning the appropriate breathing apparatus, is expected to be inside the house when it is set ablaze, while Barry is expected to be stationed outside.
It promises to be an action-packed event. Thunderstorms were forecast for Levin this evening. The fire is expected to attract a large crowd and sections of the street had been cordoned off to traffic. People would be able to view the fire, but from a safe distance.
Another picture of Jeremy Wells on the wall of the Mabel St house in Levin that will be set alight..
Fenz community education manager Adrian Nacey said a charging e-scooter’s lithium-ion battery, which is a topical and significant fire risk in many New Zealand homes, will ignite the blaze.
The burn, led by an experienced Fenz team specialising in house fires for training purposes, aims to show the dangers of incorrectly charging lithium-ion battery products and ignoring manufacturers’ instructions, how fast fire can spread, and the importance of escape plans and interconnected smoke alarms.
A charging e-scooter's lithium-ion battery will be the source of a fire in Mabel St in Levin tonight.
Similar exercises in the past had helped educate communities across New Zealand on the devastation a fire can cause in the home, he said.
The house was owned by Wayne Bishop Builder Limited, a major property developer in Levin, and was in an area tagged for the development of multi-unit affordable housing.
Wayne Bishop has a plan for affordable housing on Levin's Mabel Street.
Nacey said the house was derelict and Fenz were grateful for the opportunity to use the house for the exercise.
“It’s a really good opportunity to highlight the dangers of fire and the speed of a fire, which can spread so quickly. Within three minutes a house fire is unsurvivable,” he said.
“One of the best ways to do that is one prime-time television.
Nacey said it would also highlight the importance of early warning systems through working smoke alarms and the importance of well-rehearsed escape plans, including identifying exits and a designated meeting place.
Fenz will set this house ablaze tonight for education purposes.
He said they had received good support from firefighters at Levin, many of whom would be involved in the exercise.
“There are 12,000 volunteer firefighters in New Zealand and they make a huge commitment,” he said.
- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air.
