Review into SkyCity blaze
Independent reviewers will launch an investigation this month into Fire and Emergency NZ’s handling of the New Zealand International Convention Centre fire late last year.
The $700 million centre, being built in Auckland by Fletcher Construction for SkyCity, was nearing completion in October when a blaze broke out at the top of the building.
Considered complex and dangerous, the fire took three days to contain, polluting the air in the central city and prompting the evacuation of nearby buildings.
About 130 firefighters battled the fire, and there were reports of exhaustion among firefighters and that they were unable to get hold of the Auckland aerial appliances, although Fire and Emergency has said this would not have changed the outcome.
Katie Smart, a senior Auckland firefighter who battled the blaze, told Stuff at the time that there was a sense among the crew that they should have been able to extinguish the blaze sooner.
While the cause and origin of the fire are being separately investigated by Fire and Emergency, a review of the operation itself is about to begin.
Two reviewers from the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (Afac) will arrive in the country on February 12 and spend the next eight days interviewing firefighters and key stakeholders.
Jeremy Fewtrell, the deputy commissioner of strategic capability at New South Wales’ Fire and Rescue Service, will be one of the reviewers. A Fire and Emergency spokeswoman said Afac only investigated cases of major blazes. It will look at the service’s performance on the ground, and the safety and wellbeing of staff.
Fire and Emergency chief executive Rhys Jones said that while the service regularly reviewed its operations, ‘‘I believe the significance of this fire called for an independent review. This will allow all aspects of the operation to be examined independently from the national commander down.’’
Meanwhile, work has begun at the convention centre site to remove some of the debris, although it is unclear when construction will resume.
Shareholders will be hoping for some form of update on the centre’s progress with Fletcher Building’s interim results on February 19.