CHURCH AND HALL DESTROYED

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 178, 26 April 1938, Page 16

CHURCH AND HALL DESTROYED

Midnight Fire At Porirua

ONE HOUSE BURNED BUT OTHERS SAVED Fire destroyed the Porirua Methodist Church, the church hall and an adjoining house shortly after midnight on Friday. While the blaze was at its height there appeared to be nothing to prevent its sweeping through an entire block of houses and shops, but these were saved by means d£ a fire hose obtained from the Porirua Mental Hospita! and manned by members of the hospital staff. Air. T. Evans, whose house next door to the church was destroyed, was awakened by' cries of "lire!” At that stage his house was. not alight, but the wooden hall at, the back of the church was already half destroyed. AVith the Hames spreading rapidly, the church, joined to the ball, was quickly enveloped and the lire reached Mr. Evans’s bouse. While his family tried to save some of their belongings he drove to the hospital and returned with lengths of fire hose and a number of willing helpers. It was too late to save Mr. Evans's house, but the hose was connected to a hydrant in the hospital grounds and played on to the house occupied by Mr. J. Trewick, on The other side of the church. This house was badly scorced but not otherwise damaged. The fire-fighters next turned their attention to Mr. F. AVallace's house adjoining that of Mr. Evans. A corner of the house was already burning and some woodwork had to be chopped away before the flames could be subdued. Other residents on tile main road moved their belongings into the. street in expectation of their homes being burned. The cause of the fire is not known.