FIRE DAMAGES HOUSE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30137, 22 May 1963, Page 15

FIRE DAMAGES HOUSE

Owner Away At Time Detectives investigating the cause of a fire which half destroyed a vacant house at 88 Tedder avenue. North New Brighton. early yesterday morning, have discovered nr suspicions circumstances. The house, of 680 square feet, is owned by Miss M Cowie, who was staying in Timaru when the fire broke out.

The house, built of wood arjd roughcast, with iron roof and contents were insured

Neighbours were awakened by the fire and gave the alarm at 1.15 a.m yesterday Two engines of the New Brighton Volunteer* Brigade and one from the Headnuarters fire station answered the call. They contained the fire to the rear of the house, but the major portion of the roof structure, two of three bedrooms and the livingroom were severely damaeed. The fire began in the tw< bedrooms at the back of the house and this aroused the suspicions of firemen who attended once they knew that the house had nobody in it Inve-tigations by detectives have revealed no apparent signs of the house being broken into in Miss Cowie’s absence. The only door was locked and the window catches secured. Many of the windows were broken by the heat of the fire and the water used to put it out.