$50,000 DAMAGE

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31586, 25 January 1968, Page 1

$50,000 DAMAGE

The factory makes straw-board insulation and continuous metal roofing. The fire destroyed twothirds of the factory area. At the height of the fire flames leapt more than 20ft above the peak of the roof. Explosions could be heard up to a mile away as roofing on a newer section burst in the intense heat. An L-shaped two-storey section of the building was razed. The legs of the L were 150 ft and 40ft. one leg being built in reinforced concrete with a brick wall filling and an asbestos roof, the other being wooden framed with iron walls and roof. Ths '■oof atMl‘flowing of

both first-floor sections collapsed. Two iron-clad lean-tos on the southwestern section of the building also collapsed, one spreading debris across part of the road. Late last night firemen were still dampening down the embers. Their task was complicated because they had to remove iron roofing and wall cladding which had collapsed across either burning straw or burning straw-board. The upper floor, which held a straw-teasing machine, was used mainly as a straw store The lower floor contained machinery to manufacture and store the straw-board.

The factory section used to make continuous metal roofing was not badly damaged. The fire began on the ground floor of the section used to manufacture strawboard in an area where the legs of the L joined. Within minutes, in spite of workmen’s efforts, the blaze had spread over a major section of the factory. The factory overseer (Mr H. N. Ede) said that part of the building destroyed had originally been used for woolscouring, and he thought the oils impregnated in the timbers over the years had caused the fire to spread so swiftly. When the fire broke out about 3000 bales of straw were stored in the building. The straw-board factory, he said, was the only one of its type in New Zealand. The continuous metal roofing section would probably be back in production in a few days. “We weren’t making strawboard today. If we had been we might have spotted the fire quicker and saved all this,” he said. “All the staff were in another part of the factory.” The fire brigade was called at 1.9 p.m. and many other calls were received within minutes of the first. Machines from Woolston ■ and Sydenham were sent, but

the Woolston officer-in-charge had only just left the station when he called for another machine, and on arriving at the fire he called for yet another. In all two machines from Woolston, one from Sydenham, and two from Headquarters were sent. About 23 officers and men using eight hoses fought the fire for about an hour till it was under control and dampening-down began. After the peak of the fire had passed, relief crews were brought in.