FIRE DAMAGE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 266, 6 August 1929, Page 7

FIRE DAMAGE

BOATSHEDS BURNED. Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, August 4. A special fire in the boatsheds near the Montreal Street bridge caused extensive damage at about 7.30 on Saturday evening. The buildingj an old wooden one, was almost completely burned, and about a dozen rowing boats and canoes were damaged to a greater or lees extent. The outbreak was first noticed by the proprietor of a fish shop in Oxford Terrace, across the Avon, who, seeing the flames and smoke issuing from the windows of the shed, immediately telephoned the brigade. The building was burning fiercely when the firemen arrived, the flames travelling through the woodwork with great rapidity. The fire was soon under control, and the tinder-like building was saved from complete destruction. As far as is known there is no reason to believe that the outbreak was wilfully caused. All the doors and were found securely fastened. The fire apparently started in the north-west corner of the shed, where there was a fair amount of furniture. A quantity of carved wood belonging to the-owner. Mr. Harry Wil--son. a wood carver, who used the premises as his workshop,, -was burned. Altogether ten boats and canoes were burned, while, two boats and five eanoes were saved undamaged. However, the loss will be considerable, as rowing boats cost anything from £lO to £lB to build. Detectives were early on the Iseene, but the results of their investigations are not known at present.