FIRE AT ONEHUNGA.

Auckland Star, Volume XII, Issue 3383, 31 May 1881, Page 2

FIRE AT ON EH UN GA.

AIIOUT 5.30 p.m. yesterday evening tne roof of the house occupied by Mr Thomas Gieemvay, in Queen-street, Oneluuiga, was discovered to bo on lire by Mrs Strahau, who resides in tho next house. The alarm was at once given, and Mr Kobb, jun., and others mounted on the roof and succeeded, by their prompt actions, in getting the lire extinguished befora it had time to gain much hold a good supply of wator bavin;/ been passed up to tho roof. A crowd nf persons and Sergeant Grotjuu put in an appearance iv a few minutes, but, fortunately, their services were not much required. The cause ot the liiO was a stovepipe which paa-ed from a room through the boarded ceiling and out through tho fclligled loof. When the stove-pipe was heated, it is prosinned it ignitod the unprotected wood, which was close to it. The stove itsolf stood on tholloor of the room just on the beards, there being no safeguard against spin ks or coals setting the floor on lire, but is right to state that the stove was placed there by a former tenant, and not by Mr Gre. nway. Tho building was insured in the Now Zealand for £100. Hud the fire gained headway as at one time it promised to do, Mr J. Kobb's buildings and Mr Siruhan's must, inevitably, havo been destroyed as there was mi supply of water. Iho want of a lire-bell is much felt in I'nchuUßa, as there is no means of giving anj alarm, which would enable people to assemble imnieiiinttly to save and protect property. Iv this iustimce Mr GiTenway was only a short distance from home, ami knew nothing of the lire until all was over.