Burned Buildings Containing Asbestos Demolished in Fairlie
On Monday, November 20, 2023, a fire broke out in a commercial building occupied by a fish and chip shop on the corner of Riddle and Talbot Streets in Fairlie, Mackenzie District. While no one was hurt in the blaze, the burned building contained asbestos. As we know, friable asbestos can be harmful to our health.
The fire, combined with strong winds, meant that debris was being stirred up and blown away from the site of the fire. Given the potential health risks, the local council jumped into action to keep the community of Fairlie as safe as possible.
Road Closure
One of the first measures that the Mackenzie District Council took was closing the road. They restricted access to a small area surrounding Riddle Street to stop the general public from being in the vicinity of any asbestos-containing materials.
This is similar to what asbestos removal teams would do when containing and removing asbestos. They would isolate an area and make it off-limits to those not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) until the site was safe again.
Specialist Testing
Mackenzie District Council and local residents wouldn’t know the extent of any asbestos contamination until specialist testing was undertaken. This involved taking swabs of local areas to determine whether any asbestos fibres were present. Expert asbestos removalists can undertake these tests on behalf of those requiring them. In home environments, this often involves taking small samples of materials. When the asbestos is friable, swabbing surfaces is usually adequate.
According to Civil Defence controller Chris Clarke, experts performed air and swab testing for asbestos particulates, including swabbing surfaces and floors. These services were also provided for local businesses near the destroyed building. He expected the results to fall within safe levels since the first set of tests conducted had already produced a negative result.
Site Spraying
Asbestos testing, while an important measure, wasn’t the only action the Mackenzie District Council took. Knowing the potential for further contamination from the fire scene, they had a polymer substance sprayed across the building site. This would stop fibres from blowing away from the source. According to Chris Clarke, the substance acts like a glue to stick particles together to prevent them from being blown around in the wind.
Public Space Closure
While the immediate area surrounding the fish and chip shop had been closed, Mackenzie District Council took extra precautions by closing public spaces. This was due to high winds at the time. Both the public toilets and the children’s playground were temporarily closed. However, a thorough cleaning of the public toilets saw them reopened before long. The public playground wouldn’t be reopened until it had been tested and cleaned.
Water Spraying
Water is, of course, used to put out fires, but it also had another use in this situation. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) supplied sprinklers for spraying water onto the fire-damaged building, roads, footpaths, and nearby shop fronts. The aim was to stop the spread of contaminated materials. Water is commonly used in asbestos removal operations to prevent dust.
Drain Filters
While local authorities worked hard to contain asbestos at the fire site, the strong winds had undoubtedly made that challenging. Knowing asbestos particulates had contaminated other areas, they made the conscious decision to install filters over the drains. These filters were designed to reduce the risk of particles entering the stormwater system. They were also installed at the stormwater outflow to stop asbestos from entering the environment elsewhere.
There is a lot we don’t yet understand about asbestos in water and its potential dangers, but this was a worthwhile additional measure to keep the asbestos contamination in a smaller area.
Why Are These Measures Being Taken?
Filtering stormwater, watering down shop fronts, and closing off streets and public areas might seem like extreme measures, but there’s a reason these actions were taken. Asbestos is a health hazard.
Breathing in airborne asbestos fibres can result in them being trapped in your lungs. These fibres can build up over time, potentially resulting in health complications and incurable illnesses like mesothelioma and cancer.
Typically, the health risks from asbestos can depend on several factors, such as:
The volume of asbestos fibres in the air
The length of your exposure event
How often you’re exposed
The asbestos fibre size
How much time has passed since your first exposure
While the risk of asbestos-related illnesses from this structure fire in Fairlie is likely low, that doesn’t mean it’s zero. Councils and officials must do everything in their power to reduce the risk and keep their residents safe.
Learn More About Containing Asbestos From the Experts
There can be more to the average building fire than meets the eye, especially when it has asbestos-containing building materials. Contact Chemcare today if you’d like to learn more about containing, removing, or testing for asbestos.