FIRE IN CITY BLOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20162, 24 January 1929, Page 12

FIRE IN CITY BLOCK.

PHOTOGRAPHIC WAREHOUSE.

RAPID SPREAD OF FLAMES

WELLINGTON FIRMS SUFFER

[BY TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday

A spectacular fire, which caused much damage, broke out in the city shortly after midnight last night in a central block, midway between Willcston and Hunter Sheets, in Victoria Street, in the heart of the warehouse district. The outbreak occurred in Kodak House, a sixstorev bricK building.

The seat of the flames was on the sixth floor, which was occupied by Kodak (Australasia) Proprietary, Ltd., and contained large quantities of highly-inflammable photographic supplies, which were responsible for the startling rapidity with which the flames spread over the whole of the top floor. They were confined to that level.

A laddci was run up on to the sixth floor and the firemen played water into the building. Excellent work was done by the fire brigade and the police, and after two hours the fire was practically

The sixth floor was completely gutted and the roof disappeared. The stock on the fourth and fifth floors, also occupied by the Kodak Company, and in the rooms used bv various warehouse firms on the other floors oi the building, suffered considerable damage from water.

The other occupants of the buildings besides the Kodak Company ate London Distributors, Ltd.. ground lloor; Arthur Cocks and Company, Ltd., wholesale op tieians and importers, first floor; J. K. Mills, Sons ana Company, manufacturers' agents; Castro, Hush brook and Company, Cummer tiros., second floor; E. A. Salon, J. E. Sutcliffe, Ltd., 11. T. Merritt, Ltd., merchants, third floor.

The building is owned by Kodak (Australasia) Proprietary, Ltd., and is insured for £20,500 with the Australian Provincial Assurance Association, with which the company aiso had policies for £2600 on the rents, £20.000 on the stock, and £2OOO on the furnishings and fittings. The stock is also insured for £SOOO in the Royal Exchange Office. HOUSE AT TAIHAPE. OWNER'S NARROW ESCAPE. [I)V TELEGEArH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TAIHAPE, Wednesday. A six-roomed house in Birches Road, Tainape, owned and occupied by Mr. R. H. Good, wool and skin buyer, was badly damaged by fire shortly beiore 2 a.m. today. Mr. Good, who was the only occupant of the house, had a narrow escape, clad only in his night attire. He was almost overcome by the flames. Very little was saved from the f;re, which had a strong hold when the brigade arrived. The firemen did well in preventT'g the building from being destroyed, J'he house was insured for £3OO in the Stale Fire Office.

LOSS OF A HOMESTEAD

OUTBREAK AT MIDNIGHT

[by telegraph.—press ASSOCIATION. 1 GISBORNE. Wednesday.

A fire which broke out at midnight totally destroyed the Whitehead homestead'on the Mahia Road, Morere. The piano alone was saved.

MINOR AUCKLAND OUTBREAKS. SLIGHT DAMAGE CAUSED. Slight damage was done to the mantelshelf in the kitchen of the Y.M.C.A. early yesterday morning by a fire caused as the" result of a pot of fat boiling over. The city fire brigade quickly extinguished the flames by means of chemicals. Fire damaged a small cottage owned and occupied "by Mr. R. E. Brown, at 55. Ascot Avenue, Ken pj era, shortly after noon yesterday. iiie outbreak, which was caused by an iron chimney overheating and igniting a portion of the wall, was quickly suppressed by the Kemuera and Parnell brigades. The building, which was slightly damaged, was insured for £l5O in the South British Office.