DEVONPORT FIRE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 178, 31 July 1933, Page 9

DEVONPORT FIRE

WOMEN INJURED. THREE HOUSES LOST. EARLY-MORNING BLAZE. FLAMES CARRIED BY GALE. At the height of the north-easterly gale which swept Auckland throughout the week-end, a big portion of the residential area of Calliope Boad, Devonport, was threatened, early this morning, by a fire which destroyed two dwellings and practically gutted a third. The fire endangered the whole block of seven houses, between Shoal Bay Road and Bosiyn Avenue, and three or four of the row of houses on the opposite side of the street. In making their escape from the upper storey of one of the dwellings, two widowed sisters, Mrs. Jess (Carter and Mrs. Mary Cameron, and the lattcr's daughter, Miss. Hope Cameron, either fell or jumped from the fire escape and were taken to hospital suffering from injuries and burns, The dwellings, destroyed were No. 48, a. two-storey structure divided into flats and owned by Miss Ada A. Wharfe; No. 50, a vacant house, owned by Mr. H. S. Bates; and No. 02, owned and occupied by Mrs. M. Moore. The occupants of the homes on cither side of the three •which were burnt vacated them on the advice of the fire brigade when the lire •was at its worst. Those living in the three houses destroyed lost practically all their possessions. They escaped in their night attire. Opposite Houses Charred. The Devonport Fire Brigade found, on its arrival, the two houses, Nos. 50 and 4S, engulfed in flames, which ia a few minutes spread to the third house, No. 52. The terrific heat and flames borne across the street by the gale made it almost impossible to attack the seat of the fire in the two houses, which in any case were doomed, and the brigade concentrated on an endeavour to save No. 52, prevent the lire spreading to the other homes on the left and right, and protect the homes on the opposite side of the street, respite the fact that a fireman was posted to play a lead continually on the latter, their charred fences and walls to-day testified to the danger which threatened them, Further evidence of the terrific heat which was driven across the street by the gale was the charred remains of a "baby"' car. which became ignited and was destroyed where it stood on the roadway.

Considering the fact that-the brigade was not summoned until the fire had gained a strong hold on two of the dwellings, and that its members had to work with the gale blowing sheets of flame, clouds of.smoke and sbower3 of red-hot sparks along the street, it is considered that the brigade did lino work in restricting the fire as it did; Alarm Received at 12.25. The glare of the outbreak could be observed from across the harbour, and illuminated the neighbourhood for half a mile around so vividly that residents said that they could have read a newspaper. When the alarm was sounded on •the electric bell system from the fire station to its volunteer members, the superintendent, Mr. H. E. Follas, who lives over a mile away, could already see a great glare. Foreman W. Collcy and Fireman Worthington were on duty at the station, and an alarm was receivedhv telephone about 12.25 a.m. Shortly .'li'tei- Constable Mallabond. who was-on duty in the neighbourhood, also advised 1 be* brigade. - The two members of the brigade summoned the other members by -the" automatic call system, and were soon reinforced by the superintendent and the whole staff of 14 at the scene of the lire, which was only a quarter or :1 mile from the station. Leads were run out from both sides of the two burning buildings, but soon the third ..no was in the grip of the flames. The intense heat made it difficult to attack liie main scat of the fire, and the brigade concentrated its efforts on preventing it spreading to the other houses oil the same side of the street and the block opposite.! /■ , ..

Escape Down Ladder. The two-storey house, owned by Miss Wharfc, comprised two flats on the -round floor, and two above, and none of tlio occupants was aware of tho tire until the place was iri flames. In one of tho flats upstairs wore Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Cameron and her daughter, Miss Hope Cameron. Miss Cameron was awakened by the falling of glass and cracking of the lire. She found that escape downline stairway was then impossible. She roused her mother and aunt and secured a wooden ladder fire escape from the verandah, which surrounded two sides of the upper storey. This she -was able to place in position, and the three women made their escape down it. Both tho elderly women fell from the escape; Miss Cameron jumped from it, and in addition to injuring her anklo was burned about the face and hands.* Tho injuries of the three were treated by Dr. Bout and a chemist, Mr. Bees George, and they were taken in an ambulance, which had been brought from the- fire station, to a private hospital. Mrs. Cameron and her daughter had onlv recently come from Dunediii, while Mrs. ..Carter lived at Hastings until the earthquake. Mr. and Mrs. Barllcet, who occupied tho other upstairs flat in Miss Wharfe's dwelling, escaped by the lire escape at the rear. The house next door, owned by Mr. Bates, was vacant, and in the third one, to which the lire soon spread, lived Mrs; M. Moore and a companion, Miss Wrack. The latter found the front portion of the house on the side of.the other burning buildings in flames when she awoke. She hurried from the house witli Mrs. Moore, who is over 70 years of age. Both suffered from shock, but were cared for by neighbours. Practically nothing was saved, although two of the rooms in the back part of the house partially escaped the flaines. The remainder was destroyed. Mr. Bates' house, which was furnished, was completely destroyed.

"I could sco the flames from the Louses through the window," stated Mrsi F. Bushell, who lived next door to Mrs. Moore. "We. had an anxious time and took the advice of the brigade to leave onr home, fearing every minute that it would be caught by the tire." This house, too, was in imminent danger during the height of tho outbreak, and water was played on it occasionally.

Navy Lends a Hand. The fire ivas observed by Able Seaman Davey, quartermaster on duty on the Philomel. Ho advised LieutenantCommander P. A. Berry, who immediately organised a detachment of men and hurried to the fire. The naval partv gave valuable "help to the brigade and preventing the spread of the fire to the homes across the street. Great sheets of flame were leaping across the road, and it was hazardous work to prevent these houses from being caught in the grip of the outbreak. The naval men freely plied buckets of water on the scorched houses and fences. Torrents of sparks were swept by the wind over the houses and down towards the naval base below. Lieutenant-Com-mander Berry placed a patrol on the residential area there and on Bond's timber mill, for which there was anxiety lest the sparks should start another outbreak. Subsequently another party was landed from the Diomede in charge of Lieutenant Ryan, and it also did useful work in patrolling the area which was threatened. Employees of the Waitemata Power Board isolated the 12,000-volt line V smaller power line fell on the wet pavement in front of No. 50. and numerous minor shocks were experienced bv those working there. All lights in the Calliope Bond area were out during the fire but When it had subsided about two o'clock they were restored. The car which was destroyed had the gears locked and attempts to remove it were frustrated on this account and also by the terrific heat, which kept the many spectators who had hurried from various parts of the borough at a safe distance. The Insurances. The dwelling owned by Miss Wharfe was insured with the Eagle, Star and Dominions Office for £1000. and the furniture for £170. Mr. Bates' property was insured in the Commercial Union Office for £000, and the contents for £1,30.