FATAL FIRE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23401, 7 August 1941, Page 11

FATAL FIRE

WOMAN DIES WHEN HOME IS DESTROYED HUSBAND’S EVIDENCE AT INQUEST AUCKLAND, August 6. A fire which occurred in Ward terSandringham, shortly after 1 r ?. c ,„U this morning resulted in the 5 ath of Mrs Grace Lord, aged 26, and Varies to her husband, William Lord, in H r 34 an engineer. Both came to Auckland from Helensville a fort■rfht 220 nl | neighbour who was returning from ilk at 12.15 a.m. noticed nothing * usual, but was awakened later by un >l, f or help. He saw the Lords’ home n fire The brigade was called, and rL engines arrived, getting the fire nnrier conlro! almost immediately. Mr Lord had struggled out of the turning building with burns on his P ur e back, and head, but had not sucked in getting his wife out. Her hndv was discovered by a fire britfadesman near the door of the bed?noni which was in the back of the intise She was apparently overcome hv smoke and flames before reaching bedroom door. Her body was severely burnt. Mr Lord was sent to hdSDital in a P r 'vate car and treated in fhe casualty ward. “the house, an old wooden building, tent fiercely. As it was totally destroyed brigade officials say that it f. impossible to learn the caufee of the fire It is believed that a small fire-Vas left burning in the grate in the livingrdtftfi at the back of the house, and it is possible that it may have spread from this. HusJjan^,g st or y Lord told a tragic story when the Coroner (Mr F. K. Hunt) opened the inouest. He said that when he and his wife retired at 11 o’clock a coke fire was still burning slightly in the break-fast-room. "I was awakened by a crackling noise and found the room full of smoke,” said Lord. “The ceiling, blinds, and curtains were burning fiercely. I jumped out of bed and pulled on the light switch, but the light would not conife oh. On going to the bedroom door I found the hall full of smoke. I aroused my wife, who was fast 8S were both nearly suffocated with smoke. I helped my wife to the front door, but found the lock had slipped- I was unable to open the door and attempted to get Out of the house through the spare room, and out of the window. I told my wife to wait in the passage by the door of thfe spare room so as to be ready to follow me When I got the window up. “I got to the window and opened it, and then heard my wife call. When I called back to her I received no answer, so returned to the hall, which was a mass of flames. I was choking, and had to get out of the house to get my breath. I did not. see my wife again Neighbours’ efforts to enter the house' were unavailing, owing to the flames. , , ~ , “Because of the fact that my wife was found in the bedroom, I am of the opinion that she returned there to get'clothes, and was overcome by the smoke and flames.” The inquest was adjourned sine die.