EARLY MORNING FIRE AT RAKAIA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25301, 29 September 1947, Page 2

EARLY MORNING FIRE AT RAKAIA

Town Hall Block Destroyed

SECOND LARGE OUTBREAK IN TOWN THIS YEAR

One of the biggest fires in the history of Rakaia totally destroyed the Hakaia Town Hall and two shops in the same building on Friday evening. The building, a large wooden structure about 70 years old, which was owned by Mrs A. E. Pye, was a well-known Mid-Canterbury landmark. Shortly after the alarm had been given the building was completely ablaze, with flames and smoke billowing high into the air. „ . The Rakaia Volunteer Fire Brigade was able to confine the outbreak to the one block, but could not quell the blaze in the old building which was throwing out a terrific heat. Central Rakaia was fortunate that the north-westerly breeze had dropped, or the fire would have spread further. Lack of a high gressure water supply handicapped the re-fighters. The house of the Rakaia stationmaster (Mr J. O’Malley) alongside the hall was saved, although it was charred down one wall and blistered by the heat. The Rakaia Railway Station, 40 yards across the road, was also badly blistered. Several windows in front of the Railway Hotel, which is on the opposite corner from the .hall, were cracked. The Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade arrived at 12.20 a.m., and using 1200 feet of hose to bring water from a distant creek, it pumped continuously until 5.30 a.m., to make sure that the flames would not spread, if a breeze sprang up. The Rakaia unit was limited in its use when the water they were drawing from the railway tanks opposite ran out. The hall itself, providing accommodation for about 400 persons, which was used for weekly picture entertainments and other functions, was leased by Mrs Pye to Mr C. E. Carleton, who lost two valuable motion epicture projectors. A general merchandise store at one end of the building was leased to Mr M. Claxton, a returned soldier, who had had the business only eight months, and a confectionery shop on the squth side of the entrance to the hall was occupied by Mrs R. Turnbull, a daughter of Mrs Pye.

The building was insured. Volunteers assisted to remove some stock from Mr Claxton’s storeroom, but a quantity of articles intended for Mr and Mrs Turnbull’s new home and stored in another room had to be abandoned. Alternative accommodation • for dances and socials at Rakaia is practically non-existent, but Mr Claxton has arranged to open a shop to-day at the corner of the Main Methven road and Cridland street. The outbreak was first noticed by a fireman on a night goods train passing through Rakaia about 11.30 p.m. Mr E. Quinn, a clerk on duty at the railway station, saw flames and smoke coming from the corner of Mr Claxton’s shop, and gave the alarm immediately. Within a few minutes the Rakaia Brigade was on the scene. On Saturday morning the was flattened when the fire had burnt itself out. Tinned food and soft drink bottles continued to explode for some hours after.

This was the second major fire Rakaia has had in the last few months. On June 24 the motor garage of Crombie Brothers was completely destroyed.