Building’s Second Fire In 2 Months

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30035, 21 January 1963, Page 13

Building’s Second Fire In 2 Months

(K«w Zealand Pre** Auociatton) DUNEDIN, January 20. Fire gutted the top floor of Mooney’s Buildings, Lower Stuart street • last night, destroying a soft-goods furnishing factory and possibly causing damage to thousands of pounds worth of imported furs stored on a lower floor.

This was the second time in two months that fire had occurred in the building. The decorators had only just moved out after the last fire.

The fire was successfully confined to the top floor of the four-storeyed building and there was no damage to adjoining building*. The Dunedin Fire Brigade answered a call to the building just before 9.30 pun., and within minutes the flames were through the roof. Firemen fought the blaze with a turntable ladder, three leads of hose and thousands of gallons of water. The fire was tinder control within 20 minutes. Guests at the Railway Hotel, which adjoined the building evacuated their rooms with armfuls of belongings. Radio announcers also prepared to shift from their Stuart street premises. The soft-goods furnishing factory was owned by J. W. Columbus and G. W. R. Columbus. Everything in the factory was lost. The floor below was *. iOoney’s (New Zealand), Ltd., furriers. Smoke and

water damage was caused to thousands of pounds worth of furs being stored there, according to the managingdirector, Mr A M. Paterson. “In the last fire we escaped without a mark," said Mr Paterson, “but this time there is smoke and water damage to the fun. It is bard to say how much damage has been caused at this stage.** The Chief Fire Officer, Mr F. A. Hardy, who had just arrived beck from his holidays and did not have time to change into his uniform, said that the brigade had made an ‘‘outstanding save.” The cause of the fire is not known.