HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29699, 18 December 1961, Page 16

HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE

Fierce Blaze In Auckland (N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. Dec. 17. A spectacular fire gutted the top floor of the Queen’s building in Wellesley street west early this morning, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage and ruining a lot of irreplaceable stock in the Wellesley Carpet Company’s shop. The chief fire officer. Mr G. Drummond, said that there were no suspicious circumstances. The fire, which was confined to the top floor, broke out shortly after midnight and when the first fire engines arrived the top part of the building was a “seething mass of flames.” said Mr Drummond. A large overhanging veranda made it necessary for two ladders to be used before the top floor of the buildings could be reached by the hoses. Once the firemen were able to get the hoses inside the building and up to file top floor, more obstructions in the form of many narrow passages and partitions made the firefighting a heavy task. Smoke was also a hazard. The top floor premises were occupied by two clothing manufacturers’ factories and all stock and machinery was left unrecognisable. The fire burned through the roof and the major part of the roof collapsed into the top floor. No official estimate of the damage could be made today. Stock in the adjoining premises of the Windsor Dairy and L. F. Hardgrave’s bootmaker shop received a thorough soaking a-nd damage was considerable. Mr Drummond said there was a terrific amount of heat, which caused many windows to b’-eak. It took the firemen about an hour to bring the fire under control and a further half-hour to have it almost extinguished. From 1.30 a.m. on small outbreaks occurred, but were closely watched by firemen stationed all over the building. The building and stock were all insured.