Seven Sharp’s Live House Burn returns to nation’s screens
The controlled live house burn will show first-hand the dangers of incorrectly charging lithium-ion battery products, how fast fire can spread and the importance of escape plans and interconnected smoke alarms.
Seven Sharp team undergoing BA training at Levin Fire Station
Several experienced teams have worked together to make this house burn happen, ensuring robust safety protocols are in place. The street itself will be cordoned off to traffic and nearby residents will be able to watch the burn from a safe distance. Seven Sharp reporter Lucas de Jong and his camera crew have undergone BA training at our Levin station, and have been briefed by Station Officer and Trainer, Dan Nesbit to ensure they know what to expect on the day. The training was a refresher for Lucas, for whom this is the third live house burn he’s hosted on Seven Sharp.
On Tuesday night, Station Officer, Daniel Nesbit will lead Lucas and one of the camera operators through the house to the lounge where the fire will originate from a faulty e-scooter lithium-ion battery. Another camera operator will be in a back bedroom to show that while a fire is spreading in one part of the house, it may be completely undetected in the other.
As lithium-ion batteries are extremely unpredictable, we will remove the e-scooter’s battery to keep our people and the Seven Sharp crew safe during the filming.
There will be cutaways back to the studio where Risk Reduction and Investigations Manager Peter Gallagher will explain what’s happening, highlighting key safety messages. Seven Sharp’s co-host Hilary Barry will be positioned at the front of the house to capture the fire’s spread.
We will amplify the fire safety advice delivered via the Seven Sharp segment to communities across the motu (country) via local media coverage, social media activity and a refreshed Escape Planning and Smoke Alarms campaign(external link).
The Manawatu-Whanganui Community Risk Management team will also bring local school children to watch the burn as a practical element of their Get Firewise programme to get a chance to learn about the importance of smoke alarms and getting out of a house quickly if there’s smoke or fire.
You can help spread the message by encouraging your friends and whānau to watch Seven Sharp at 7pm on Tuesday 15 August.
A follow-up story the next day will show the devastating aftermath, showing just how little of the house is left. The house involved was set to be demolished by a property developer and donated to Fire and Emergency for community education purposes.
In case you do miss the story, we’ll post it on the Portal and Facebook after it airs or check it out on TVNZ OnDemand(external link).