£20,000 Damage In Factory Fire

Press, Volume C, Issue 29651, 23 October 1961, Page 12

£20,000 Damage In Factory Fire

Damage estimated at between £20,000 and £30,000 was done to stock and buildings of D. A. Lewis and Company, Ltd, furniture manuturer, at 336 Manchester street, by a fire which broke out about 10 a.m. on Saturday. Ten units, four from Central and one each from the Sumner, Woolston, Sockburn, Sydenham, New Brighton, and St. Albans fire stations, attended the blaze, which was brought under control about II ajn. It was the largest number of engines to attend a fire in Christchurch for some time.. Clouds of dense smoke rose high in the air, and many hundreds of spectators, including a large number of children, were attracted to the scene. The premises where the fire occurred are situated at the back of the shop of Archbold Brothers, Ltd., and were taken over by D. A. Lewis and Company, Ltd., early in September. The shop and stock in Archbold Brothers, Ltd, were not affected by the fire. The alarm was given by telephone about 10.10 am. and when the first engines arrived the fire had a good hold and was spreading rapidly As more and more units arrived they were stationed at points right around the outbreak. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water were poured on the blaze, which roared through $e stacks of timber Units were parked in Manchester and Aberdeen streets at the back of the premise? C K Otley, Ltd., 369-389 Madras street, which adjoin

those of D. A. Lewis and Company, Ltd, on the north side in the premises of Sutherland Steel Products, Ltd, and in the driveway alongside Archbold Brothers, Ltd. Spectators crowded around the gateway and were kept back by two policemen who were later joined by others. City Cbuncil traffic officers closed Manchester and Madras streets between Bealey avenue and Salisbury street. Mr D. A. Lewis estimated that about 5000 ft of timber and 6000 ft of laminated plastic were destroyed. He said it was partly covered by insurance, but he would suffer a heavy loss. Mr Lewis was on his way to Murchison for the long week-end when he saw the smoke and went to the scene. The long building housing the timber stack, running along the rear boundary, and the lean-to where the laminated plastic was fabricated were destroyed. Two saws and the machinery for laminating the plastic and plywood were lost .An official of the company said last evening that the factory would be out of production for about a week. Members of the St John Ambulance Brigade treated several firemen for burns. Many of the firemen who fought the blaze had just returned to the Central Fire Station after taking part in a full-scale exercise at the building formerly occupied by the “Christchurch Star” in Cathedral square Men from the Woolston and St Albans stations also took part in the exercise The fire caused slight damage to a sawdust hopper belonging to C. E. Otley Ltd.