FIRE OUTBREAKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 July 1936, Page 5

FIRE OUTBREAKS

NAPIER WOOL STORE

[FEB PBESB ASSOCIATION.]

HASTINGS, June 26

Damage between £30,000 and £40,000 is estimated to result from a fire which completely destroyed the Hawke’s Bay Farmers, Ltd's. wool store at Port Ahuriri early this morning. The store and several hundred bales of wool are a complete loss, but the buildings and contents were covered by insurance totalling £33,215. Thirty firemen made a determined effort to save at least part of the store, and although their efforts were unsuccessful they protected a large two-storey wool store adjoining belonging to Dalgety and Company. Negotiations have already been started by Hawke’s Bay Farmers, Ltd., to have a new store erected on the same site. This is to be started, without delay for completion before the approaching wool season.The cause of the fire is unknown. The wool store covered an acre and a quarter. Three pumping machines were at work and eight hoses were in action. The fire was discovered by the Napier Harbour Board’s watchman, who saw smoke issuing from the windows near the offices. Two brigades arrived shortly before six o’clock, and by 9 o’clock, the' whole building was razed. Accurate details of the number of bales of wool in the store are not yet available as the strongroom has not yet been opened.

RE-BUILDING IMMEDIATELY

NAPIER July 27

It is estimated that 1000 to 1500 bales of wool were destroyed in yesterday’s fire. Part of this was due for shipment to-day. All the machinery in the building was rendered valueless, but the strongroom withstood the heat, the contents being undamaged. The contents of the store were on minimum, but the fire occurred just before a. great call is to be made on the building by the new season’s wool. The cause of the outbreak is not known, but spontaneous combustion is suggested. Preparations are already in hand to rebuild in concrete. The insurances, held between the Roval and Alliance offices, total £33,215. A start was made in clearing the site this morning, in order not to delay the rebuilding, which is estimated to cost £30,000.

During the height of the fire, two engines pumped water from the harbour, a third using the mains.

MELBOURNE STORE

(Recd. July 27, 1 p.m.) MELBOURNE, July 27.

Fire destroyed tne wool cleaning factory and store of Federal Felters Limited, at Richmond, causing damage estimated at £22,000. This is the second loss by fire the Company has suffered this year as on March 11, last, fire caused £50,000 worth of damage at. its factory at Footscray.