H.—l2,

mentioned in this report. This work will require a considerable amount of additional time, as it is necessary in most cases to make tests on the water-supply under both winter and summer conditions. The usual reports were made during the year on inspections of public buildings and institutions, and advice has been given to Fire Boards and other local bodies with regard to equipment and fire-station sites and buildings. A number of reports were also made to the Local Government Loans Board on loans proposed for fire-prevention, water supply, and reticulation purposes. I have, &c, R. GIRLING-BuTCHER, Inspector of Fire Brigades.

Table I. —Showing Causes of Fire in City Areas.

8

Dwellings (including Hotels and Business Premises. Total. Cause Boardinghouses) Number m - BTnlls Number ™ T 08 , Number ™ L of Fires. ilre 088 ' of Fires. * lre 088 ' of Fires. 088 ' £ £ £ Defective electrical installation .. .. .. .. 1 1 5 119 6 120 Electric irons and radiators left on .. .. .. 13 2,083 4 218 17 2,301 Short circuits and overheating .. .. .. .. 5 132 18 1,607 23 1,739 Other electrical faults .. .. .. • • 1 21 2 16 3 37 Gas-explosions .. .. .. •• 1 11 •• 1 H Gas rings, &e., left on or in contact with curtains, &c. .. 6 143 2 114 8 257 Defective gas-installations .. .. .. . • 1 5 3 645 4 650 Candles in contact with curtains, &c. .. .. .. 3 1,646 .. .. 3 1,646 Lamps, stoves, overturned or exploded .. .. .. 2 407 4 54 6 461 Miscellaneous, due to naked lights .. .. .. 4 626 1 7 5 633 Defective chimneys and flues .. .. .. .. 22 2,534 6 44 28 2,578 Defective hearths, fireplaces, and furnaces .. .. 17 1,179 3 146 20 1,325 Defective hot-water systems .. .. .. .. 3 991 .. .. 3 991 Lighted match dropped .. .. .. •• 11 755 9 86 20 841 Children playing with matches .. .. .. .. 9 38 .. .. 9 38 Smoking in bed .. .. . ■ • ■ • • 5 31 .. .. 5 31 Cigarette or cigar butts dropped .. .. .. 8 490 17 9,161 25 9,651 Ashes from pipes, sparks from cigarettes .. .. 4 102 .. .. 4 102 Bats chewing matches.. .. •• •• •- 1 7 1 1,024 2 1,031 Miscellaneous causes—smoking and matches .. 2 76 1 25 3 101 Sparks from fireplaces, furnaces, &c. .. .. .. 36 2,572 12 1,408 48 3,980 Airing clothes before a fire .. .. .. .. 3 514 .. .. 3 514 Ashes placed in wooden boxes, &c. .. .. .. 11 1,026 4 32 15 1,058 Heating tar, polishes, &c. .. .. .. .. 3 124 11 1,943 14 2,067 Spontaneous combustion .. .. .. .. 3 364 7 128 10 492 Allowing benzine, &c., near naked lights .. .. 11 630 5 835 16 1,465 Arson .. .. .. •• 2 32 2 2,090 4 2,122 Suspicious origin .. .. .. •• 11 2,939 8 2,184 19 5,123 Overheating of and sparks from machinery .. .. .. .. 5 4,920 5 4,920 Sparks from bush and gorse fires .. .. .. 7 107 4 104 11 211 Sparks from rubbish fires .. .. .. .. 8 38 .. 8 38 Sparks from chimneys, locomotives, &c. .. .. .. 10 60 30 5,391 40 5,451 Blow-lamps used for burning off paint .. .. .. 14 297 2 8 16 305 Fires spread from other buildings .. .. .. 11 147 4 699 15 846 Miscellaneous known causes .. .. .. .. • • • • 19 384 19 384 Total, known causes .. .. .. .. 249 20,128 189 33,392 438 53,520 Unknown causes .. .. .. .. 68 18,689 59 56,851 127 75,540 Grand total .. .. .. .. •• 317 38,817 248 90,243 565 129,060 Known causes—Loss per fire .. .. .. .. .. 81 .. 177 .. 122 Unknown causes—Loss per fire .. . . . • ■. 275 .. 964 .. 594 All causes—Loss per fire .. .. . • • • ■ • 122 .. 364 .. 228 Unoccupied dwellings—Loss per fire .. .. .. . ■ 292