Fire Guts Board Mill Powerhouse

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30632, 24 December 1964, Page 12

Fire Guts Board Mill Powerhouse

(New Zealand Press Association) WHAKATANE, December 22. Fire gutted the Whakatane Board Mills’ powerhouse here yesterday. The fire broke out at 12.50 p.m. when an overheated transformer mounted on the wall of the powerhouse exploded.

Mr F. A. Bridges, mill manager, said the transformer showered the side of the powerhouse with fllaming oil. The fire spread quickly to the ceiling of the building and to switchgear. Damage was estimated at £lO,OOO. Firemen from Whakatane and the mills’ own station had the blaze under control in half an hour, but they were hampered when flames cut off the power supply. Electrically-operated pumps drawing water from the mills’ two large reservoirs failed, and firemen had to run lines to the . nearby Whakatane river.

The mill was without power until 5 p.m. when a connexion was made from the State power supply, by-passing the gutted powerhouse and switchboard.

Mr Bridges said the fire is not expected to disrupt production at the mill, where more than 600 men are employed. The two cardboard making machines had been shut down before the blaze, and the powerhouse was notoperating. Staff were closing the plant for the annual Christmas break when the fire broke out.