TENT DESTROYED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22438, 19 September 1947, Page 6

TENT DESTROYED

CAMPING GROUND FIRE FAMILY NOW HOMELESS A large ridge-pole tent, in which Mrs D. Taylor and her three children were residing in the camping grounds at the Waikanae Beach, was totally destroyed by fire on Wednesday afternoon, together with most of the interior fittings. Mrs Taylor is at present homeless. It is not known how the fire started, but, fortunately, Mrs Taylor was handy to the tent when the fire was first noticed. A young baby was asleep in the tent at the time and Mrs Taylor was able to rush in and bring the sleeping child to safety. The other two children were playing on the beach at the time. The tent which had been dried out by the sun and wind of the past few days, was totally destroyed in less than five minutes. A few of the interior fittings, suen as a chest of drawers and the beds, were dragged out, but all were charred All the bedding and clothes hanging from the ridge-pole went up in flames. Bedding Destroyed Another woman at present in hospital who had been staying with Mrs Taylor had left her bed-clothing in the tent and this was totally destroyed. A new tent, which had been rolled up and pushed under one of the beds, was saved, but several holes were burned in it. The flames consumed the tent so quickly that neigbours could do little but stand by. No fire alarm is installed at the camp and the only fire-fighting gear available was two former E.P.Sbucket pumps. The water from these helped to save a small amount of furniture.

A strong breeze was blowing at the time and it was feared that neighbouring tents also might catch fire. A small piece of burning material from the tent set alight to some scrim in the doorway of another tent, but. fortunately, the blaze was extinguished before any damage was done. With the tents and caravans pitched close together, it would have been easy enough for the fire to spread and demolish the whole row.