OIL-STORE EIRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 10133, 10 June 1924, Page 8

OIL-STORE EIRE.

BLAZE AT INVERCARGILL.

AN IMPRESSIVE SPECTACLE.

(Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, June 9. Invercargill to-day witnessed an aweinspiring spectacle when the British Imperial Oil Company of New Zealand's big oil bond store went up in smoke. Just as the.sun set, a huge pall of black smoke commenced to stream across the sky, and huge, tongues of flame rose hundreds of feet in the air, like a great black curtain. The immense volume of smoke poured across the sky with the westerly breeze, and from 5 o'clock to close on midnight it continued without a break, only in the late hours of the night the eruption showing any noticeable tendency to decrease. There were at least 20,000 cases of oil stored in the building, of which 15,500 were unloaded from the Kaiwarra, and /stored away to-day. When the last cases were being stored away the' fire was discovered in the front part of the building, and it spread with such appalling rapidity that no-, thing could be done to save the build-j ing. ' An employee named Smith discovered the place to be on fire, and pluckily tried to put it out; but so rapid was the spread of the flames that he was burnt about the arms and chest and taken to hospital for treatment. Enquiry late to-night elicited the information that he was progressing favourably. In addition to the 20,000 cases of oil, a quantity of lubricating oil also was stored in the building, but the exact quantity is not known at present. All the* office papers were saved, but the store was irretrievably destroyed, only the walls standing, and at a late hour to-night it was still a question of whether the front wall would hold and prevent the fire spreading, but it was then considered that things had taken a more hopeful turn. • • ■ The greatest danger facing the fire .brigade was the possibility of the fire Spreading to two big bond stores across the road, namely, the Vacuum Oil Company's and A. arid P. Patterson's, "and elaborate precautions were taken 'to prevent this happening. The brigade could only bring one hose into operation, the fire being some little distance from the town water mains, and this solitary stream of water from the gasworks was kept in use without a stop for six hours on end in hosing the other two stores mentioned, from which huge . clouds of steam arose. The brigade is considered to have handled the fire well so far, and if the wall holds out, no further damage is anticipated. .. The building and contents were covered by an open policy of insurance. The amount of the damage covered is not yet known. The cause of > the outbreak has not been yet definitely determined