GOOD SAVE BY BRIGADE AT FACTORY FIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1949, Page 4

GOOD SAVE BY BRIGADE AT FACTORY FIRE

Although handicapped in the initial stages by difficulty in reaching the seat of the fire and by an inadequate water pressure,' the Greymouth and Cobden Fire Brigades made an excellent save at the joinery factory of Messrs Sotherans, Ltd, Arney street, last night. The fire was largely confined to the ceiling of the main factory building, where there were large stocks of seasoned and imported timber and the chief loss will be in connection with the damage to this timber. The structural damage was not heavy and as the machine shop missed the full effects of the fire and the water which poured down from the top floor, the machinery escaped lightly, only a few electric motors and the lighting system being put out of action.

Spark Likely Cause The fire, it is thought, may have been caused by a spark from the incinerator lodging, in dry dust on the roof of a small shed at the Tear of the main building. From there it spread through a corrugated iron partition into the ceiling of the factory. Again probably due to a deposit of fine dust, the flames spread rapidly underneath the roof, towards the front of the building and had a good hold among the stocks of timber in the ceiling when the alarm was given. The alarm was given at the Central Fire Station by a man on a bicycle, who shouted the location of the fire through, the door, but did not stop to give his name. Both the mouth and Cobden v brigades were quickly on the scene, but for a time they had difficulty in getting water to the seat of the fire, and it was feared that the fire was. going to get out of hand. Once the brigadesmen forced their way through thick smoke, and got water on to the timber stocks, however, the fire was .soon brought under control. ■Prior to the factory being, closed early last evening, a routine inspection was made by the principal of the firm, Mr T. Sotheran, and he saw no sign of anything which might have caused a fire, to break about by 7.50 p.m.', the time of the alarm. No, estimate has yet been made of the damage, as the timber destroyed, including some irreplaceable lines, will have to be th&cked. Four insurance companies share the coverage on the building and contents, the Australian Alliance, F.A.M.E., Ocean Accident and London and Lancasnire companies. Fireman Injured A senior member of the Cobden Fire Brigade, Mr P. Sweetman, was injured during the fire-fighting work in the factory. The lighting system failed in the early stages and m the darkness Mr Sweetman fell over a lorry loading bank, suffering injuries to his shoulder which required medical attention.