Hand vac charger causes dealership fire

LINK
Schoolboy Saves Two From Fire
22 May, 2007

A 16-year-old schoolboy risked his life warning workmates of a fire before attempting to battle flames that engulfed a Palmerston North car dealership yesterday. Brendan Murray was working as a car groomer at the now-charred Money Mart Direct Car dealership on the corner of Featherston and Carroll streets.

"I walked through the office, into the workshop and saw the fire.

"As soon as I saw it I grabbed the fire extinguisher to try to put it out.

"It was quite big and there was fuel around."

Palmerston North Fire Service station officer Gary Hills said the flames were about 1.8m high as Brendan tried to fight it using the small extinguisher.

He opened the door back to the office and yelled out, alerting his two workmates who fled, before turning back to fight the blaze.

After 10-20 seconds he saw the fire spread to cleaning products and petrol cans in the workshop.

"It just exploded," the Freyberg High School student said.

Witnesses outside reported hearing the explosion and seeing smoke shoot out the windows, followed by a mass of flames.

"I was right by it, I just stepped back.

"I couldn't find my way out.

"It was real smoky."

The workshop was small and the garage door was open.

But black smoke had filled it completely.

Three police officers were a short way up the road and raced to the scene.

"I heard a policeman yelling to 'get out of there' and I followed the voice."

He received superficial burns to his right arm and face.

Afterwards he seemed fine, a burn pad on his arm the only indicator he had been hurt, but the danger had started to sink in.

"In the ambulance, I couldn't stop shaking."

His mum Tanya Murray, who manages the car yard, called him a hero and was backed up by the two sales staff Brendan warned to get out. "I was sitting right by the (workshop). That's why I'm grateful to Brendan for yelling," said Doris Smith, who was still shaking as fire crews doused the few remaining hot spots.

"It just went black with smoke when he opened the door (to yell). I would never have known if that door wasn't opened.

"He definitely saved people."

She was in the far office and watched as the fire shot through the building.

"It took about a minute. It just gutted it so fast."

Fire crews arrived with two engines within six minutes of receiving the 111 call at 2.48pm.

"Basically there were flames coming out of every opening," Mr Hills said.

Still, they managed to put it out within about six minutes.

Brendan played down the hero tag but agrees he got there just in time to warn people.

Fire safety officer Murray Kidd said it appeared the fire was started by an electrical appliance in the workshop, possibly a car grooming vacuum.

"I've got all the bits in front of me at the moment, we're still trying to work out what it is."

He said it was plugged in to a charger at the time.

I'd use the Smoke Shutoff power strip on any of those chargers that get left plugged in 24/7.