Fire Leaves Family Of Nine Homeless

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31982, 8 May 1969, Page 1

Fire Leaves Family Of Nine Homeless

A fire which raced through an old house in Gebbie’s Valley about midday yesterday left a family of nine homeless. Everything was lost except a few of the children’s clothes and a mattress. The belongings were not insured.

The house, on the property of the G. Radford estate, was rented by Mr N. Rattray. He and his wife have seven children whose ages range from 10 to three weeks.

’ Neighbours and friends put I up the family last night and accommodation for a month ' has been arranged. i Mr Rattray was at work and [ the three eldest children were ■ at school when the fire occurred. It is believed to ; have started when a spark from an open fire in the dining-room went past a fire guard and lodged in an easychair. Mr Rattray said that his wife noticed the fire in the chair and ran to get a bucket of water. However, in the valley water ran slowly from the taps, and after she had thrown the bucket of water on the blaze she could see that she would not be able to put out the fire. Mrs Rattray then ran to the telephone, but could not get; through to her neighbours, telephone tolls, or the fire brigade at Lincoln. Drove To Neighbour “Her main concern was for ! the children, so she bundled the four youngest into a car ’ and drove them to a neigh- 1 bour," Mr Rattray said. The neighbour, Mr L. R. Withell, who lives about 400 yards away, said he had just arrived home for lunch when Mrs Rattray arrived. After leaving the children with his

wife and telling her to ring the brigade he raced back to the blazing house with Mrs Rattray.

When they arrived the fire, which had begun in the rear section, was sweeping towards the front. Mr Withell said he managed to get into two front rooms and throw a couple of drawers of children’s clothing out of the windows. The flames and smoke drove them from the house.

Mr G. M. Fitz Gibbon, chief s fire officer of the Lincoln ■ Volunteer Fire Brigade, said that when the firemen arrived there was little they could do, as a steady wind had fanned i the flames through the house. “We were lucky that rain had damped down the surrounding area,” he said. “Next to the house are two paddocks of fairly high stubble and beyond them is another house.” Mr Fitz Gibbon said that anyone who could help the family,. particularly anyone who could offer permanent accommodation in the area, should get in touch with Mr J. W. Baker, a Tai Tapu cartage contractor for whom Mr Rattray works. Mr Baker was only too willing to follow up offers of assistance. Mr R. J. Lipscombe, secre-tary-manager of the North Canterbury centre of the Red Cross Society, said last evening that the centre had sent blankets, clothing and cutlery to the family.