FIRE IN TIMBER YARD

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22304, 19 January 1938, Page 10

FIRE IN TIMBER YARD

DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £IOOO EARLY MORNING BLAZE AT LEAST HALF OF STOCK DESTROYED Nearly £IOOO worth of damage was done to the stock and plant ot the Western Timber Company by a fire which broke out early this morning. Fully half of the stock was destroyed, and all the plant. Three engines answered the call, and although they had no chance of saving a lot of the limber. some of the wood at the outer ends of the racks were saved. The premises are situated well back from the intersection of Colombo street and Carlyle street, and leads of hose were run in from both streets. The buildings containing the machinery, and the covered racks in which the best of the wood is kept, are at the Southern end of the property, and it was in this part that the fire appeared to have started. When the brigade arrived the flames had an irresistible hold. The galvanised iron walls of the buildings crumpled and buckled with the heat, and the force of the water tore them away from their supports. Through these gaps the lengths of timber in their orderly rows could be seen blazing furiously, and every now and then a complete rack would fall to the ground, with great clouds of smoke and showers of sparks. Running west from these buildings was a low shed m which timber was stored under cover, and although this part was not so badly affected, very little of the contents could be saved. Running north from the machinery building was a tall rack of timber without cover, and the end nearest the buildings was burning . fiercely when the brigade arrived. Hoses kept up a continual stream of water on the wood from both sides, but even then it took more than an hour to subdue the blaze, and fully onehalf of this rack was burnt to cinders and crashed to the ground. Standing apart from this was another tall rack full of timber, but the flames did not reach to it. The machinery at the yard was not very elaborate, consisting of a crosscut saw bench and a planer, and this was all destroyed beyond repair. The timber was red pine, and the best of it was destroyed. The timber and nlant arc covered by Insurance, but tha» amount of the cover and the name of the company concerned were not available early this morning. It was mentioned by an official of the company (hat the fire would probably result in a heavy loss, In spite of the insurance.