A BUSY DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1935, Page 13

A BUSY DAY

LOWER HUTT FIRES

HOUSE DESTROYED

Yesterday was a busy day for the Lower Hutt Fire Brigade.' ~ " /.'

At _ about 1.50 ■ f a call- was: received from Normahdale- ,to a house owned by Mrs. Davies, and at the time occupied by Mr. Sydney Jones. ; The house was .completely destroyed, together with a quantity of : -furniture owned by Mrs. Davies. , Mr. Jones was in'.the'act of vacating the premises, and' lost only a portion of his furniture. The premises; and: Mrs. Davies's furniture; were insured-in the State Fire Office,' but the-amount is at present. unknown; '':; w' V' ' : .-' Th6re is. no water Reticulation in the vicinity and the" brigade ;W.as~' not called until too late, ttie7 impression being that the brigade',would not be able: to fight the flames without water. Members of the brigade state that had the call been made earlier it might have* been possible to extinguish the: blaze with' cheniicals. '::.......,.. PINES BURNT. ~ Last : night from 8.10 o'clock to midnight .the brigade, was engaged in a most, strenuous fight 1 against a fierce fire in a pine plantation on the southern: portion of Normandale Hill. The valuable plantation was almost - completely^ destroyed, but several .houses just beyond the area 'burned .were saved £y the fine work .done by the brigade, which, being without: water, had to, depend entirely on ."beaters" and' the use of chemicals* . As it was, a. house oymed by Mr. C. C, Odlin was only just saved, the fire being^beateh a yard or. two from a clump;of trees near the house. .Had this caught.fire other houses would probably have been burned. .: