Old offices considered fire risk

Papua New Guinea Fire Service commissioner Bill Roo has called on people owning and working in old offices to refurbish and re-wire them to prevent fire.
Roo made this statement after the old Mineral and Resources Authority office at downtown Konedobu was burnt down in a fire on Wednesday night.
“The PNG Fire Service Communication Centre received a call from a security firm at 7.19pm and a fire truck from Downtown arrived at the scene around 7.30pm,” he said.
“Fire trucks from Waigani and Boroko also responded but because the building was so old and it was very windy that night, the fire burnt down the whole building.
“There was not enough water, too, according to the brief I’ve received from my officers. I don’t know whether it was because there was no fire hydrant there or if it was there but the water pressure was down.
“But fire trucks had to go all the way back to town to refill their water tanks.”
However, Roo said firemen were able to contain the fire and stop it from spreading to the Kairuku district office and the new Mineral and Resources Authority Office.
“We are currently investigating the scene of the fire to establish the cause of it.”