Fire Destroys Lodge On Island Without Porter

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32194, 13 January 1970, Page 20

Fire Destroys Lodge On Island Without Porter

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, January 12. A fault in the submarine power cable from Auckland to Waiheke possibly played an important part in saving many lives when the Blue Heron Lodge on the island was destroyed by fire last night.

A power cut to the island on Friday morning meant that the owner of the lodge, Mr R. L. Gay, had to send 40 guests away.

Mr Gay was the only person in the lodge when the fire broke out at about 10.30 p.m. He had sent his wife and four children to stay at Howick only yesterday. Flames lit up Orapiu Bay on the south-eastern tip of the island, and leapt hun. dreds of feet into the air from the main building, which was completely destroyed.

About 20 residents went to help put out the fire, which woke Mr Gay with loud banging noises he thought were being made by hooligans. The fire brigade was called by one of the residents. Firemen with two machines pumped water from the sea while residents fought the fire with water they were getting from the sea—more than 50 yards away—in buckets.

Mr Gay praised those who helped fight the fire and said that many had taken risks to save furnishings from rooms,

and that while fighting the blaze some of the residents had gone far too close to the burning buildings. A fire brigade spokesman said today that the cause of the fire was not yet known. The lodge—of which only the annex remains standing —was bought by Mr Gay 17 months ago and was valued at more than $50,000. The lodge was insured.

The 70-hour power cut which saved the 40 guests at the lodge from possible serious injury, loss of personal belongings or death ended at 7.15 p.m. yesterday. The fault in the cable cut the supply to the islands of

Waiheke, Pakatoa and Rotoroa at 5.25 a.m. on Friday. Working from a barge, Auckland Electric Power Board men lifted 2060 yards of cable from Kaikuku Bay on Waiheke out to sea before the fault was found. The chief engineer, Mr M. G. Keys, had hoped to have power restored by yesterday morning, but there were problems ' in assembling equipment and anchoring the barge. The power board is taking measures to reduce the risk of a recurrence. Mr Keys said a new cable had been on order for about six months and was due to

arrive in March. The original cable was no longer adequate.

The new cable will eventually be increased to carry 51,000 kilowatts. The present cable has a capacity of 6000 kilowatts.