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THE EARLIER FIRES

FIVE IN FOUR DAYS

ONE WORST FOR FORTY

YEARS

(By Air Mail—From "The Post's" London Representative.)

LONDON, June 29.

After a weekend of bomb explosions in.the heart of London, five fires have occurred in the following four days. The causes have so i'ar remained a mystery, but with each successive outbreak the two varieties of arson are being associated. One of the ( fires was the biggest London has seen for 40 years. It broke out at 7 p.m. in a three-storey block of offices at the corner of Barbican and New Zealand Avenue, E.C., near the Aldersgate Underground station. By 10 p.m., when the fire was under control, four buildings in New Zealand Avenue and three in Barbican had been burned out. Eight other build- | ings were damaged. The whole of New i Zealand Avenue was burned away, (leaving only the skeleton structure of the walls. In a short while four huge warehouses were ablazo from top to bottom. i Many people escaped over the roofs of adjoining buildings, and more than 30 | girls trapped in New Zealand Avenue ! had to rush through fierce flames to [ safety. Many of them had. their hair singed. The building where the blaze origi« nated was quickly burned out and the walls began to collapse. The flames roared across New Zealand Avenue, which is a narrow cul-de-sac, into the opposite buildings and through them to further buildings. Many of the warehouses were stocked with highly inflammable goods. Thousands of gowns, bales of cloth, paper, straw goods, furs, and hats fed the flames. The offices, showrooms, and workshops of more than 30 firms were soon involved. The fire threatened to eat its way right down to the junction of Aidersgate and Barbican.' There was a roaring wall of flame 200 ft long. A -general call was issued to all the 59 fire stations in the L.C.C. area to send appliances to the scene. More than 50 fire appliances were quickly engaged, with a force of nearly 300 firemen under the direction of the principal officers of the brigade. | Nearly 200 auxiliaries irom all parts of London, including sections of the women's auxiliary services, were on duty. ' ' . ! BLAZE ON THE RIVERSIDE. ! On the previous day a girl typist lost her life in a blaze in Queen Victoria Street. Oh the following day another j huge fire broke out in a large block, j of buildings and Castle Baynard Wharf, where big stocks of paper and news- J print are held in' bond for Bowater- j Lloyd, were endangered. A dozen] men made their escape from the blaz-i ing warehouse by leaping on to the) mudbanks of the Thames, which was at low tide. The flames were fought; from the mudbanks and from fire! boats on the river, while nearly a score of engines were crowded in, Upper Thames Street. j Some of the men from the floats j were almost up to their necks inj water as they struggled to wade ashore! with lengths of hose. Rowing boats were used to take others to the mud-; banks. About 300 firemen, besides auxiliaries who were called to help, were en-| gaged. The fire was got under control at 7.30 p.m. Four firemen, including a member of the auxiliary service, were taken to St. Bartholomew's j Hospital but were not detained. j As clouds of smoke began to fillj Upper Thames Street and Carron Wharf j the employees of Carron Company rushed to the street. . The flames shot £01 feet high and a few minutes later the roof crashed in with a roar. Thick smoke spread for miles over the area like fog, and firemen had to put-on their gasmasks. | The fire was visible for miles, and parents who had daughters or wives who had husbands working in the City rang up continually to see if they were safe. One call said the fire could be seen ten miles away.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19390721.2.82.2

Bibliographic details

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 18, 21 July 1939, Page 9

Word Count
655

THE EARLIER FIRES Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 18, 21 July 1939, Page 9

THE EARLIER FIRES Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 18, 21 July 1939, Page 9

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