1984: The ICI Fire
December 21, 2022
By AHNZ
Nasty disaster today in history, 21 December, 1984.
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) had a chemical warehouse just down to road from where Sylvia Park megamall is in Auckland today. A warehouse of compounds and mixtures and toxic fumes raging in a blazing fire is not what the residents in and around Mt Wellington wanted for Christmas. Extinguishing the fire had unknown health risks for the fire-fighters but in they went to do what had to be done like St George going at a dragon.
In terms of Moral Cultures, New Zealand’s mainstream was Honour Culture at the time. Brave, blunt, simple, and physical. But that’s the sort of mindset that started the fire by taking no heed of chemical reactions and it’s also no use in taking on a the complicated remedy the ICI Fire demanded. This is a good marker for the rise of the Krypton Factor Dignity Culture that commanded mainstream NZ until about 1990.
“My main recollection of the fire was how black the smoke was and all the green chemical on top of water coming out from the fire. The aftermath was far worse, loads of firefighters were badly affected by the chemicals,” “That fire was a turning point for the way we now deal with incidents. I was driving the Aerialscope that day…” – Greg Armstrong, comment to Auckland Fire Brigades Museum & Historical Society inc., Facebook (2020s)
“Such a massive fire and the chemicals involved causing so many fire personnel to become sick and suffer devastating health issues, let’s hope as the years have passed that so much has been learnt from this chemicals involved fire.” – Philip Steans, ibid
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Image ref. Auckland Fire Brigades Museum & Historical Society inc., Facebook (2020)
3 thoughts on "1984: The ICI Fire"
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I was working in a plastic extrusion company slightly up wind of the fire. We were working on a complex extrusion machine that the heaters had failed on, seizing and breaking the main shaft. It was an emergency job that had us working all night long.
We heard the sirens and could smell the stench of the fire, but we kept on working. We heard the next day that everyone had been evacuated from our area, except us!
Decades later my respiratory system seems to be fine.
Far out. I’m glad you dodged the poison.
Do you think people were less concerned or aware that these sorts of fires were more deadly than the traditional sort? Coal and wood burn fumes we could shake off but NZers had to adapt to a new kind of smoke now and the old attitude wouldn’t keep you safe.
My dad was one of the fire fighters. I was present at this fire, witnessed it first hand. In The aerial footage there is a nz fire dept Bedford van, I was in this van with my siblings and saw it all. I remember them testing a chemical suit which was the first time I saw a yellow PVC jacket.. I enjoyed it because we were getting free ice blocks. Little did I know that this was a major turning point in both dad’s and the families life. Hard to believe that it’s not shy of 40yrs since.