Graffiti on the new path near the Ulong/Canal Street Bridge. Photo: Griffith City Council.
In another busy week for Griffith police, officers arrested an alleged graffiti offender, investigated a house fire, intervened in a serious road accident and helped evacuate residents affected by a gas leak.
Inspector Glenn Smith informed Region what happened.
Arrest for graffiti
On Wednesday (3 July), Griffith City Council reported malicious damage from graffiti to a footpath in Canal Street to police.
Following investigations, a 28-year-old male was identified and charged in relation to the damage.
The male will appear before Griffith Local Court on 13 September.
House fire on Kookora Street
At approximately 9:20 pm on Sunday (7 July), a fire was detected at a Kookora Street premises. A candle was left burning on a table while one of the occupants wasn’t at home and another was watching television in a bedroom with the door closed. It would appear that a small box containing other tea candles positioned near the lit candle somehow caught fire.
Luckily, the premises was fitted with working smoke alarms and the occupant in the bedroom was alerted to the fire by the alarms. The occupant went into the room where the candle was located and saw that the room was full of smoke and there was a small fire on the table. The occupant contacted emergency services and was able to extinguish the fire prior to their arrival.
NSW Fire and Rescue attended and extinguished some remaining embers.
“The occupant of the premises was very lucky and it is a great reminder to ensure that everyone has working smoke alarms in their premises,” Inspector Smith said.
Serious accident on Rankin Springs Road
At 3 pm on Friday (5 July), a 38-year-old female was travelling northbound along Rankin Springs Road, Griffith in a Holden Captiva.
At a point approximately 100 metres south of Rifle Range Road, the Captiva crossed onto the incorrect side of the road (for unknown reasons), colliding with a Kenworth Road Train travelling in the opposite direction. As a result, the single female occupant of the Captiva was trapped within the vehicle, requiring the assistance of emergency services personnel to remove her.
The occupant of the Captiva was conscious the whole time and, luckily, was not seriously injured.
She was taken to Griffith Base Hospital with a number of fractures and for blood and urine samples to be taken for analysis for alcohol. The collision occurred within the 50 km/h zone, and it is believed that both vehicles were travelling at the sign-posted speed limit or less. The circumstances of the collision are still under investigation, including determining if alcohol was a contributing factor.
Gas leak and evacuation on Marcus Street
NSW Fire and Rescue worked swiftly to keep people safe during the gas leak. Photo: NSW Fire and Rescue.
At approximately 3:30 pm on Thursday (4 July), emergency services including NSW Police and Fire and Rescue Station 311 Griffith together with Yenda 512 quickly responded to reports of a gas leak. A line had been impacted by workmen using a concrete saw causing a substantial natural gas leak. A number of residences within the vicinity had to be evacuated until the leak could be repaired.
Fire protection was put in place and water was used to assist in dissipating the gas.
A number of houses in the area were evacuated, and the road was blocked off temporarily. Gas response crews quickly worked to dig up the line and crimp the pipe to stop the leak.
Fire and Rescue Station 311 Griffith thanked the crews from Gas Response for their quick work, NSW Police for their assistance in traffic control and evacuating the area, and the residents of Marcus Street for their patience while they worked to get the leak under control.
No persons were injured and, once repaired, all residents were allowed to return to their homes.
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