OIL STORE ABLAZE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 264, 3 August 1929, Page 13

OIL STORE ABLAZE

120,000 GALLONS DESTROYED FIRE RAGES A NIGHT AND A DAY INCENDIARISTS BLAMED One of the most spectacular tires ever to occur in Christchurch was one of the results of what appear to be incendiarists’ activities there on Thursday night. The fire broke out in a store containing 120,000 gallons of petrol and oil, punctuated by explosions, raged throughout the night, being still burning yesterday afternoon. The loss is estimated at between £lO,OOO and £12,000. Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, August 2. Two fires caused by incendiarists took place iu the city last night, while a third attempt at incendiarism failed. One fire provided the most spectacular blaze seen in Christchurch for many years. This was the oil-store of Messrs. D. H. Brown and Company in Carlyle Street where 120,000 gallons of petrol, kerosene and oil were set alight. The fire brigade found the doors of the building unlocked. Huge sheets of flame shot hundreds of feet into the air, many of them separating from the flames above the burning building and hovering aloft for a few seconds. The brilliant clouds of fire against the dark background of dense clouds of oil smoke made an awe-inspiring sight. All night long the fire raged and flames from the burning oil were still issuing from the building this afternoon. The damage has been roughly estimated at from £lO,OOO to £12,000. The early stages of the outbreak were marked by loud explosions as the cases and drums of oil burst under the terrific heat. .Some of the explosions were similar to heavy artillery fire and the ground reverberated with the shocks. Others came in quick succession as from a battery of machine-guns. In the face of all this, with the heat so intense that a building three chains away caught alight, the firemen toiled, waging a losing fight with the flames. They could not suppress the big outbreak, but they saved all the adjoining buildings, a feat that is creditable considering the fact that burning streams of oil ran down the gutters.

The second fire, which happened almost simultaneously, caused severe damage to a motor-car and motor-cycle. These were housed in a garage in Milton Street. The case of attempted incendiarism occurred at the premises of Adams, Ltd., motor importers, but it was not discovered until this morning. The Big Fire. The fire brigade received a call from the street box alarm at 10.30 p.m. and almost simultaneously an automatic alarm was received from the railway goods-sheds. In an incredibly short space of time huge tongues of flame shot skywards, ’ accompanied by dense clouds of black smoke. The heat was intense. Thousands of spectators quickly gathered from all parts of the city, for the flames could be seen from any suburban street, so high did they reach. The firemen worked under tremendous difficulties. They poured thousands of gallons of water in from half a dozen leads, the blaze being attacked from every possible quarter. Soon it was apparent that nothing could save the store. Across Carlyle Street stood the railway goods-shed, and it was not long before the intense heat set these in danger. To save them from catching alight water was played on the roofs, sending up dense clouds of steam that stood out clear against the huge red flames from the burning oil. Every now and then a further quantity of oil would explode and a sheet of flame would ascend high into the air at times, there being distinct clouds of flame which were detached from the flames which issued from the burning building. For over two hours the fire burned without a sign of lessening in intensity. By that time thousands of people had gathered, the Madras Street railway bridge making an excellent grandstand for the curious. Carlyle Street became partially blocked with motor-cars, while hundreds of persons arrived on bicycles. Awe-Inspiring Sight. Tfie sight was an awe-inspiring one. In the early stages of the fire there was a noise like a battery of machine-guns firing as the petrol containers exploded. Later this noise died away, but at intermittent intervals the ground trembled with the force of the explosions inside the blazing building. The tramway feeder lines caught alight in . places. These run along Carlyle Street in front of the oil store. Tramway repair men were out endeavouring to save the lines from being destroyed. There were two bowser petrol pumps next door to the burning store. These did not explode, although in each tank there was 1000 gallons of petrol placed there yesterday. A two-storied wooden dwelling in Madras Street over three chains away from the blazing store caught alight at times owing to the terrific heat, but each outbreak was speedily suppressed by the firemen. It was fortunate that the night was practically calm, for had a wind

been blowing from the south-west quarter, as had been the case all day, it is almost certain that the railway goods sheds opposite would have caught. At times ignited oil was seen running down the back of the store. Immediately after a part of the roof had been blown off with a loud report heard a long distance awav, the hip part of the brick wall at the back followed with a resounding crash and burning oil flowed over the footpath and into the gutter. Electric Wires Hamper Brigade. The brigade’s efforts on the burning building were greatly impeded by the lines of live wires running alongside. Most members of the brigade had to be provided with special capes, on which water was poured to protect them against the heat. The fire seems to have started on the floor and to have mounted . up quickly. The most spectacular scene was when the main part of the roof fell in. This seemed to give the flames, which had been dying down, fresh life, and they mounted higher and fiercer than ever, while the smoke increased in volume and density, resembling a volcanic outburst. Distant Buildings Ignited. The alarm was first given by a man who noticed the glare through the skylights, though no flames were issuing then. The petrol store was filled with oil on Wednesday afternoon. Some of the contents were in drums and some in cases. The whole consignment, whicu was taken in on Wednesday totalled about 120,000 gallons. With the Hames still darting high into the air a portion of the brick wall on the Madras Street frontage of the oil store crashed down at 11.40 p.m. The piece that fell was a gable. Owing to the intense heat there was no one near the wall when it fell. Many of’ the windows in the Customs house at the southern end of the goods sheds about three chains away from the fire were broken by the heat, and the building had to be sprayed with hoses all the time in order to keep it from igniting. The produce store of Messrs. W. E. Cook and Co. on the west side of the oil store was in great danger at one time, but the fire brigade kept it froi i catching fire. The goods sheds opposite Messrs. Brown and Co.’s store were cleared in record time by railwaymen. As soon as the danger was observed the Railway Department called in all its staff and all the goods in the shed opposite the fire were rapidly loaded into railw." wagons. An engine was attached and the train was kept in readiness all night to haul out if danger threatened. Heavier goods were removed to another shed which was separated by a fireproof wall. Firemen’s Good Work in Danger. The firemen did excellent work under grave difficulties, the intense heat proving a severe ordeal, but they never relinquished their task, although the huge crowd was kept at a considerable distance by. the heat. Three firemen w r ho were taking a lead to the south-western door of the building had just got within a few feet of the door when a huge drum blew out in their faces. They were thrown violently backwards by the force of the explosion just as the brick gable above crashed outwards, falling within a few feet of the men. The hose was buried under the bricks and blazing petrol tins. Had it not been for the explosion the men might have been buried with the hose. As it was they escaped with a few bruises. The water pressure obtained by the fire brigade was exelleut, the streams from the hoses ascending for at least sixty feet into the air. These long white lines stood out iu bold relief against the background of smoke and flame. Further Outburst at Noon. At noon to-day the eastern wall of the building was blown out. The bricks collapsed on to the footpath, and the burning oil thus released flowed over the surface of the water in a huge mass of flame. A large column of black smoke ascended and it was followed by a fierce recrudescence of the flames. Despite all the firemen could do to beat back the flames with the hoses, they made their way along the water down Madras Street, to the front of two bouses, which for a while appeared to be in danger. Gradually, however, the firemen beat the flames back and kept them confined to the front of the store. Here for a long time the fire raged furiously, the flames leaping high in the air. Large crowds of people assembled during the lunch hour. They were fortunate for they saw the fire at a spectacular time. The police were busy preventing venturesome folk from approaching within the danger zone. The danger of further explosions was always present, and everything possible was done to prevent injury. As the oil continued to flow into the street, the blaze on top of the water continued fiercely. An adjacent fence caught fire every few minutes, and was as promptly extinguished. The enormous loss caused by the fire can be judged from the fact that the damage is estimated at from £lO,OOO to £12,000. The exact figure has not yet been determined, as a number of the returns have been burnt in the fire, and nothing can be done until duplicates are made out. The building is insured in the Royal Office for £2500. and the contents for an amount not yes ascertained. Suspicious Circumstances. There seems no doubt that the tire was the work of incendiarists. Before 10.30 o’clock last evening two men were seen near the doomed building. One was near the oil bond, and the other had a position on the top of the. steps of the railway overhead bridge, which commands an excellent view of Madras Street. Carlyle Street, and the oil bond, itself. These two men were seen to get into a motorcar and leave the scene when the fire brigadesmen arrived within a few minutes of the alarm being given. The brigadesmen found that a sliding door was closed, but the padlock was missing. Mr. W. Pryce, a traveller for the firm, and Mr. G Lavender, head storeman, closed up the bond nt 5 p.m., after making a thorough inspection of the building. All the doors were padlocked. No nightwatchman was employed. Attempt on Adams, Ltd.’s.

Some time last night someone threw burning paper into a grating at the rear of the premises of Adams. Ltd., which abut on to Poplar Street, off Tuam Street. The grating came across to a strong room

where a quantity of petrol was stored. The attempt to burn the building was not discovered until this morning. Business Firms Uneasy. A feeling of uneasiness is spreading among the larger business firms in the city as a result of the alarming activities of the incendiarists. Many companies who hitherto have left their property ungardod during the night hours are in search of trustworthy men to act as night watchmen. -It is intended that buildings and property will be under the eye of patrols from nightfall to daybreak. Insurance companies have been heavily hit by the succession of tires, and are lending support to property owners in their efforts to prevent further outbreaks. The matter has been under serious consideration by the Canterbury Fire Underwriters’ Association, which body lias been in cooperation with the police, who have advised all the big firms to have their premises closely guarded by nightwatchmen. BLAZING FOR TWENTY-FIVE HOURS FURTHER EXPLOSIONS ANTICIPATED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, August 2. The petrol fire is still blazing fiercely at 11.30 p.m. Firemen are busy playing water on the burning mass. They have little hope of extinguishing the flames before all the petrol has burned, but at the bottom of the pile there are a number of big drums of motor spiirt which must almost inevitably explode sooner or later and the hope of the firemen is to keep the temperature of the mass as low as possible to delay the explosion, hoping that if or when the drums ignite there will be as little as possible other burning petrol about. The risk of serious danger has not yet passed. No one has been badly hurt yet, but the'firemen hourly run serious risks. AGGREGATE OF LOSSES By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, August 2. The incendiarists have now caused over £50.000 damage in Christchurch within the past three weeks. In all, there have been twelve suspicious fires.