INVERCARGILL FIRE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21947, 15 February 1946, Page 4

INVERCARGILL FIRE

BUILDING DESTROYED

(P.A.) INVERCARGILL. Feb. 14. An outbreak of fire in Invercargill last night destroyed the building and plant of Wilson Brothers, engineers and iron-founders, Lent street. Fanned bv a strong westerly wind, the fire quickly swept through the building and when the brigade arrived soon after receiving the alarm at 10.24 o'clock almost .the whole of the roofing was ablaze.

The brigade had little chance of saying the building, but did good work in preventing the spread of the fire to adjoining properties The total resources of the Invercargill Fire Brigade were used to combat the outbreak the regular staff of 20 men and 13 auxiliary members being supplemented by the Emergency FireFighting Service.

The fire appeared to begin in the front of the building and burned so fiercely that it had a good hold over the_ whole structure when the brigade arrived. Gas from the acetylene welding plant, accumulated on the top floor of the building presented an early difficulty for the brigade, and later this burnina gas was ventilated by the wind, which entered when the asbestos roofing collapsed in a series of explosions.

The origin of the outbreak is not known.

The building was insured for £4OOO, and the machinery, stock and plant for another £4300. it is possible that a good deal of the plant may be salvaged.