FIRE GUTS HOUSE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28750, 22 November 1958, Page 7

FIRE GUTS HOUSE

Bus Passengers

Save Belongings

A Midland Motorways bus made an unscheduled stop on the Main North road half i mile north of Kaiapoi about 9.45 a.m. yesterday, when a small four-roomed house was seen to be on fire. A group of bus passengers rushed to the house, and, although the fire had a good hold, they managed to rescue a number of household articles.

The house, owned by Mr J. Monk, of Kaiapoi, and occupied by Mr and Mrs Patrick Sheehan, was gutted. By the time the Kaiapoi Volunteer Fire * Brigade arrived, the flames had too big a hold for the building to be saved. Only the badly charred walls were standing. A detached washhouse, where the fire started, was burnt to the ground. Mr and Mrs Sheehan were away from the house when the fire began. A copper in the wash-house had been lit, and it is thought that the fire started from this. The bus passengers rescued two single beds, two easy chairs, two duchesses, a refrigerator, bedding, and other pieces of furniture. The furniture was piled on the front lawn as the party raced against time to get it from the blazing building. Early arrivals on the scene were a traffic officer, who happened to be on patrol nearby, and Constable I. E. Harris, of Kaiapoi. They diverted both north and south-bound traffic from the Main North road at the Ohoka road and cemetery corner turn-offs. This enabled the fire brigade to run a hose across the road to a property opposite, occupied by Mr Monk, where there is a swimming pool. Water was pumped from the pool, but by this time is was too late to do much to save the house.