FIRES AT HOWICK

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 February 1937, Page 5

FIRES AT HOWICK

INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED

[pee press association.]

y AUCKLAND, February 15

Suspicious fires which have occurred in the Howick district have been engaging the attention of the Auckland police recently. Many residents believe that an incendiarist lives in the neighbourhood. The last outbreak which can be directly traced to incendiarism occurred at the Howick School shortly after 9 o’clock on the night of January 31. Fortunately little damage was done. Less than a fortnight before, a cottage that had been unoccupied for many years was burnt to the ground. The circumstances surrounding this fire are regarded as highly suspicious by residents. Not long ago an unoccupied blacksmith’s shop in Moore Street was partly destroyed. Good work by the fire brigade prevented a total Joss. The Roman Catholic Church hall in the main street was damaged, but as a sale of work had been held during the evening, it cannot definitely be said that the fire vjas caused maliciously. Some time before this, a tennis pavilion was deliberately set on fire, but the brigade again made a good save. A two-storeyed wooden building in the older part of the township, which for some time had been unoccupied, was also burnt to the ground.