RAN THROUGH FACTORY ENVELOPED IN FLAMES

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 7

RAN THROUGH FACTORY ENVELOPED IN FLAMES

(New Zealand Pres* Association)

NEW PLYMOUTH, September 30.

Enveloped in flames, a woman ran screaming through a New Plymouth shoe factory yesterday afternoon after methylated spirits spilled over her clothes and ignited.

The woman. Mrs Valerie Morgan, aged 34, of 3 Gordonstan. New Plymouth, was working in the shoeroom of Burkes, New Plymouth Ltd., when the inflammable spirits she was using to polish shoes spilled over her smock. It was ignited by an open bunsen burner flame. Mrs Morgan rushed to the adjoining workroom. her smock a mass of flames. Bid To Quell Flames Two men grabbed her, trying to beat the flames out. Mr Barney Gladden, also wearing a smock, held himself against Mrs Morgan in an attempt to quell the flames. But in .a few moments his clothing also caught fire. Mrs Morgan, still screaming, broke away from Mr Gladden and Mr R. L. Scott, and raced for the door, while about 40 other women panicked and tried to escape from the building. Mr Scott said today: “When Vai came tearing out that shoeroom door, her smock was just a roaring flame. Noone could get in front of her, the heat was so intense. Then Barney tried to beat the flames out, but she got away.

“As she went for the door, I grabbed her from behind. I put my arm round her neck and pulled her on to the ground. Then. I got my smock off. Someone grabbed it and put it over Vai, and the flames went out “A few seconds later, one of the , girls threw a bucket of water over us. That must have delayed the shock for Vai, because she was still conscious when we carried her into the office.” , Mrs Morgan suffered severe burns and was taken to the

New Plymouth Hospital where her condition was reported today to be fair. Mr Gladden and a girl suffered minor burns and were treated at the outpatients’ department “It all happened in just a few seconds,” Mr Gladden Said. “At one stage, while her smock was still burning, Mrs Morgan tried to run -for the door at the back. There’s a lot of spirits at the back. If she’d got into that lot, the whole factory would have gone up.”