Fairlie Store Damaged

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31317, 13 March 1967, Page 1

Fairlie Store Damaged

(From Out Own Reporter>

TIMARU, March 12. Fire caused about £6OOO worth of damage to Wright Stephenson and Company’s premises in Main street, Fairlie, on Friday.

Containers of rock gas blew out with the heat and allowed the gas to escape, and drums of diesel and kerosene exploded.

The Chief Fire Officer, Mr N. Miles, said that the Fairlie Volunteer Fire Brigade received the call by automatic alarm about 8.45 p.m. The station is 50 yards away from Wright, Stephenson’s. The merchandise manager (Mr A. Pinkerton), who is a member of the brigade, and who has been its secretary for 19 years, had only been home for a quarter of an hour when he responded to the calL One machine, manned by a crew of five, attended the fire.

“Flames were coming out of the roof of the back storeroom, in which the fire started, but the cause is not known,” Mr Miles said. The storeroom is of concrete block construction, but the wood floor was charred, and the roof damaged. The brigade put two leads

through the skylights, and also forced an entry through the back door.

“Dog and sheep nuts and drums of molasses were burning furiously,” said Mr Miles. Smoke damaged the front of the shop. The brigade had the fire under control in half an hour but remained on duty until midnight

Mr Miles said concern was felt about the presence of inflammable materials in the storeroom, and the proximity of other buildings—a wood garage on one side, and a block of shops on the other.