FIRE AT WAIPU.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 141, 16 June 1926, Page 8

FIRE AT WAIPU.

t ■ CORONATION HALL DESTROYED BUCKET BRIGADES'S GOOD WORK. (By Telegraph. -Own Correspondent.) WHANGAREI, this day. A fire at an early hour thie morning completely destroyed the Coronation : Hall at Waipu. An entertainment was ', held in the building by the Ladies' Croquet Club last evening, coining to a close shortly after midnight. The building was first noticed to be alight about 5.30 a.m.. when about 60 residents formed a bucket brigade, but the flames had such a hold that their efforts were mainly confined to saving the adjoining property, shops and dwellings, on either side, and thanks to ?ood work these were only scorched. Fortunately there was no wind, otherwise the whole block -would have Ijeen involved, but over two hours elapsed before the fire in t-be hall was subdned. Apparently it started in the vicinity of the stage. I The' structure was completely destroyed, as were also the piano and library housed in the building. A motion picture plant was also deistroyed, but the power and electric lighting plant at the rear were saved. In addition, a shed belonging to Mr. IF. D. McKay was destroyed. ! The Coronation Hall was a wooden building, 100 feet by 40 feet, erected m 1911 out of the Coronation grant of £300. A quantity of rubbish was 6tored under the stage, and it is surmised that a cigarette butt may have ignited this and so caused the outbreak. _ The building was insured for £/00 in the State Fire Office, and the piano was also covered for £70.