THIS IS A STORY ABOUT THE BALLANTYEN'S CHRISTCHURCH FIRE ON THE 18TH OF NOVEMBER 1946 I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED MY STORY BECAUSE IT IS MY EXPLANATION OF MY STORY AND IT TELL WHAT HAPPENED AND WAHT HAPPENED

BALLANTYEN'S  CHRISTCHURCH FIRE

ESTABLISHED ON THE MID AFTERNOON 3:35 PM 18 NOVEMBER 1946 WHEN THE FIRE BEGAN FEROCIOUSLY TURNING THE BUILDING APART INTO ASHES

A MAJOR FIRE DESTROYED A FAMOUS LARGE  DEPARTMENT  THAT AT MORE THAN 300 EMPLOYEES IN THE APARTMENT.

SOME EMPLOYEES WAS TOLD ABOUT THE FIRE BUT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF SMOKE OR FIRE ANYWHERE IN THE DEPARTMENT WHEN THE WORKER KEPT ON WORKING  AS THEY CONTINUED TO IGNORE THE FIRE ALARM. THE STAFF HAD NO FORMAL EVACUATION PLAN

SOME STAFF ON THE  LOWER GROUND FLOOR EVACUATED BUT STAFF ON OTHER SHOWROOMS ON THE GROUND FLOOR WERE ORDERED TO CARRY ON WITH THEIR WORK

THIS RESULTED IN THE MANAGEMENT NOT HAVING A GOOD EVACUATION PLAN SO IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN HALF AN HOUR,ENOUGH TIME TO EVACUATE THE WHOLE 1000 PEOPLE SEVERAL TIMES OVER.

 THE DEPARTMENT ONLY HAD MANUAL FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND THE STAFF WERE NOT TRAINED TO USE THEM. ALL THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT THEY HAD FIRE DOORS OPENING BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS.KLAXONS WAS A COMPANY WHO PROVIDED AND INSTALLED FIRE EQUIPMENT DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, WHICH MEANT THEY WERE NOT MAINTAINED.EACH DEPARTMENT HAD THEIR OWN EVACUATION PLAN.

THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY THE TIME OF 8 PM AS THE DEPARTMENT WAS A GUTTED SHELL  IT TOOK AS LONG AS FOUR DAYS TO DAMP THE HOT SPOTS DOWN AND DEMOLISH THE UNSAFE WALLS AND RECOVER THE BODIES.

A COMMISSIONED SOME TIME LATER DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE AND RESPONSE HAD BEEN THE BUILDING HAD NOT MEET THE FIRE REGULATIONS SO THOUGH IT HAD PASSED ITS LAST INSPECTION IT HAS BEEN NOTED THAT THE OFFICE EMPLOYEES WERE NOT EVACUATED BECAUSE THE STORE’S OWNER REQUIRED THAT IT WAS INSURED THAT THE EQUIPMENT TO BE STORED AWAY IN A FIREPROOF SAFE FIRST.