The Press
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — A firefighter fell through a dark and smoky “void” when a floor gave way as he fought a blaze in Christchurch.
Senior station officer Peter Dellaca and senior firefighters Jeff Taylor and Garry Dillard were sent to one of two Trimble Navigation buildings in Middleton that had caught fire shortly after midnight.
About 2.15am yesterday, the trio, from the Sockburn station’s green watch, made their way to the first floor with a fire hose.
"[The fire] was still going pretty good. I was walking in heavy smoke and the pitch black and all I remember is that we went out into a void. Where the void came from, I have no idea,” Dellaca said.
“It was just a short drop, with an abrupt stop at the bottom.”
His first instinct was to protect his fellow firefighters, especially Taylor, who was in front of him when the floor collapsed.
Taylor, who suffered serious knee injuries, underwent surgery in Christchurch Hospital yesterday afternoon.
“It was pretty obvious that Jeff had been injured quite seriously, and the objective was to get him out quite quickly,” Dellaca said.
“I used my radio and put a call into my command unit, and we just overwhelmed the place with firefighters.”
Taylor was found in under three minutes and carried to safety.
Dellaca injured his left knee, meaning it could be a couple of days before he returned to work.
“It’s all part of the job,” he said.
Dillard was back at work last night.
He was the first to fall, and reacted by grabbing the fire hose to break his fall.
“I was taken into hospital, checked over, and discharged first with no injuries. I had an overtime shift tonight, so I got back to work.”
He described the incident as a “straight-out accident”.
Dillard said he had had no problem going into the Trimble building and would do the same again: “It goes with the territory.”
Initial reports suggested earthquake damage might have contributed to the accident.
However, Fire Service assistant national commander Dan Coward last night told The Press that had not played a part.
An investigation would be carried out.
The 2000-square-metre building did not have sprinklers, Coward said.
Trimble managing director Corinne Haines said the first floor had been off limits because of earthquake damage.
A new ceiling had just been installed in the leased building and the company was only two to three weeks away from using the floor.
The firm, which employs about 240 people, would have to look for new office space, she said.
“It is a blow after the disruption of the [February] earthquake and now this . . . it’s going to be a major exercise to relocate.”
Trimble’s parent company in the United States was committed to Christchurch, she said.
Haines said a mapping system used to record a three- dimensional model of quake- ravaged central Christchurch would be assessed for damage today. Woolston fire station senior station officer Michael Balmer said there was an increased risk to firefighters since the quakes, and they had “second thoughts” about going into some buildings.
“The No 1 priority is the safety of our crews [but] things can just happen so quickly, even with all the care in the world,” he said.
Detective Sergeant Craig Farrant said engineers had deemed the building too dangerous for investigators to enter yesterday.
However, insurance assessors, firefighters and police staff hoped to enter today.
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