Fire officers probe cause of Gordon warehouse fire

FIRE officers are now investigating the cause of a huge blaze that destroyed a major tyre warehouse in Port Moresby last Friday.
PNG Fire Services chief Isaac Silas confirmed yesterday that the warehouse at Gordon belonged to Bridgestone Tyres (PNG) Ltd.
He said the warehouse was a single storey building that contained tyres and other accessories.
Silas said the fire was reported to the Boroko Fire Station at 8pm and a truck and a crew of six was immediately dispatched to the site.
He said the operation required the use of four trucks in the city and assistance from the airport fire service.
“Thirty-four fire fighters and officers – including six airport fire crewmen fought the blaze,” Silas said.
“The fire fighting operation lasted for five hours and continued into the early hours of the
morning.”
He said the fire was threatening to spread to the nearby SP Brewery premises and Diamond Club.
NCD fire commander Bill Roo said it took his officers a long time to combat the fire.
“This is because of the burning rubber tyres,” he said.
Silas said that investigations were continuing to establish the cause of the fire. 
He commended the fire fighters and others for confining the fire and preventing it from spreading to the nearby premises.