Fierce blaze destroys valuable cars

Press, 12 February 1979, Page 1

Fierce blaze destroys valuable cars

A fierce fire yesterday afternoon gutted the premises of Federal Motors, Ltd, in Manchester Street, and destroyed European new and used cars valued at 8200,000.

The fire in the firm's showroom, at 100 Manchester Street, was reported to the Fire Brigade at 3.45 p.m. When firemen arrived flames were leaping high. Seventeen cars and vans were destroyed and the building was severely damage; adjacent buildings were not affected. One fireman was taken to the Christchurch Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. He was treated and discharged. The owner of Federal Motors, Mr J. P. Ryan, said that the value of the destroyer! cars was “more than $200,000.” He was unable to estimate the damage to the building. The spares department suffered little damage, but

an upper-storey storeroom was affected only by smoke, he said. Mr Ryan said that two of his employees had passed the building less than an hour before the fire was reported, and saw nothing amiss. Five fire engines and the snorkel attended the fire, which was still smouldering in the roof late in the evening. The Christchurch C. 1.8. said that there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances, and no special investigation was under way. Mr Ryan, however, said that he believed it was unusual for all the vehicles in the building to be destroyed. According to witnesses,

the plate-glass windows of the showroom shattered as the Fire Brigade arrived, and the interior, according to one woman, was “a blazing inferno.” Peugeot, Citroen, Audi, Renault, and other valuable cars and vans were Jsstroyed in the fire, which drew a crowd estimated to be more than 300. Most had dispersed by 5 p.m. Mr Ryan said after a personal inspection that the workshop was not badly damaged. The destroyed vehicles were insured. At the height of the fire the police and Ministry of Transport officers barricaded all streets in the area.