THE St. George's Fire Brigade's firefighting appliance broke down in the middle of fighting a huge warehouse blaze in the Old Town last week and is still out of order.

But St. George's fire chief Gareth Adderley and the town's Mayor Mariea Caisey said there was no cause for concern among residents, as the town continues to have adequate fire cover from the Clearwater Fire Station on neighbouring St. David's Island.

The one appliance from the St. George's Fire Brigade was one of ten trucks from all over the island which responded to the blaze at the Wellington Street warehouse of hardware dealers Godet and Young, which caused an estimated $1 million worth of damage.

The fire broke out at around 2.15 a.m. on April 24 and 41 Bermuda Fire Service personnel battled the blaze.

Chief Adderley confirmed that the St. George's appliance did malfunction after it had been pumping water onto the fire for around three hours.

"We did have a difficulty with our vehicle," Chief Adderley said. "One of the brackets that holds the drive shaft in place broke."

The breakdown had not interfered with firefighters' efforts to extinguish the blaze, he added, as portable pumps were already in place, each pouring 350 gallons of water per minute, through two-and-a-half-inch hoses, into the fire's hot spots. The truck itself uses a one-and-a-half-inch hose.

He added that the Brigade's only fire truck was still out of order, as he had decided to take the opportunity to give the appliance a complete overhaul.

"The vehicle is about ten years old, which is not old for a fire appliance," Chief Adderley said. "They are usually replaced after 15 years."

The Brigade has now converted one of its utility vehicles into a temporary fire appliance.

"I want to make it clear that the St. George's Fire Brigade, in collaboration with the Bermuda Fire Service, is still covering St. George's," Chief Adderley said.

"If there is a call, we will respond to it in tandem with the Bermuda Fire Service, as we do 365 days a year."

Bermuda Fire Service Chief Fire Officer Vincent Hollinsid said he could make no comment on matters related to the separate St. George's Fire Brigade, although he said his firefighters always automatically responded when fires broke out in the East End.

Mayor Caisey said she was assured that the Old Town had sufficient fire emergency coverage from Clearwater and that it was also sufficient to meet the requirements of UNESCO for St. George's as one of its World Heritage sites.

"I would have preferred that we had a fire engine on this side of the bridge, but that would not be realistic as they obviously don't have the equipment to have a truck here all day," she added.