FIRES AT HUTT

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 147, 18 March 1931, Page 6

FIRES AT HUTT

Two Houses Destroyed Normandale was the scene of two fires, one on Monday night about 9.30 o’clock, and the other yesterday morning shortly after 5 o’clock. Both houses were completely destroyed. In neither case was the services of the Dower Hutt Fire Brigade possible, for, although one of the fires was within the Dower Hutt boundary, there is no water in Normandale for fire fighting. The outbreak on Monday night was in a nine-roomed wooden building near the Normandale School. Bought about a fortnight ago by Mr. A. Daniel, a builder, of Lower Hutt, from Mr. Evans, of Railway Avenue, Lower Hutt; it was unoccupied. As Mr. Daniel was having the house cleaned, it is thought that some rubbish had possibly smouldered and caught alight. No particulars of insurances are available. Yesterday morning’s outbreak was in the six-roomed house, of Mr. E. Shearer, on the Lower Hutt side of the hill. Mr. and Mrs. Shearer were awakened by the crackling of the flames, the fire appearing to have started at the other end of the building, in the basement, where the washhouse is situated. The occupants made hasty departure in their night attire, and scarcely any furniture or effects were saved. The house was insured for £B5O in the British Traders’ Insurance Co., and the furniture for £l5O in the New Zealand Insurance Company.