£5m Sugar Fire

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30128, 11 May 1963, Page 13

£5m Sugar Fire

(N.Z.P A.-Reuter—Copyright) BRISBANE, May 10

The Townsville bulk storage terminal, which handles 10 per cent, of Australia's sugar production, was destroyed by fire last night. The value of the Queensland storage plant and the sugar it contained was £5 million, according to an unofficial estimate.

The loss was “a crippling blow.” said the secretary of the Queensland Sugar Board (Mr J. R Winders'. Although they could not say the blaze was under control. firemen said they thought they could keep the flames from an adjoining wharf and bulk loading unit valued at £A1,500.000. The fire was first seen by the Townsville Pier Master* (Mr J. Lambert). “It started off like a flickering light, like someone with a lamp, but within a few minutes the whole western end of the shed was a blazing inferno,” he said. Smoke rose two miles into the sky, and flames leapt 100 feet into the air. The glow from the blaze could be seen 10 miles away, according to police. More than 2000 persons gathered to watch as firemen from six brigades fought hopelessly -to control the fire.

The bulk storage terminal handles 200.000 tons of sugar a year. Without it, sugar crushed when the product, tion season begins on June 1. will have to be bagged.