NURSING HOME AFIRE.

Grey River Argus, 21 June 1927, Page 5

NURSING HOME AFIRE.

WATER SUPPLY STOPS. Narrow Escapes at Auckland (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, June 20. The Enron Private Nursing Home, a nine-roomed wooden structure, situated in Carlton Gore Road, was destroyed by fire at 4.30*. o ’clock this morning. An adjoining residence was also badly gutted on one side, and only strenuous efforts on the part of the Newmarket Fire Brigade prevented its demolition. The occupants of the Home, two patients, two babies, and the owners, Mr and Mrs F. :A. Hill, and their son and daughter, had barely sufficient time to escape from the building with their lives, and not a vestige of clothing or furniture was saved. The Newmarket Fire Brigade had a particularly hard fight, and the prospects of saving the building looked hopeless when they arrived, to find flames bursting through the roof. The water pressure was increased, but just when they were beginning to make an impression on the conflagration the pipe burst in Khyber Pass. The supply was thus completely cut off. With their hopes of saving the building shattered, the firemen turned their attention to tho adjoining buildings. In spite of their efforts, however, they could not prevent the house next door, belonging to Mr R. Eccles, chemist, from catching fire on one side, and being considerably damaged.

The fire in the Home commenced in the kitchen, but at present the cause of the outbreak is a mystery. When Mr Hill woke up, to find the building enveloped in smoke and raging with fire, his first thought was for his patients, w T hd were removed from their rooms, and transferred to a house several doors down the road. , Fireman. Drandell had his hands badly burnt. The contents of the Nursing Home were insured with the Sun Assurance Coy for £6OO, while the building was covered bv a policy with the Atlas Coy for £2OOO. Mr Eccles’s house is insured with the Royal Coy for £BOO, and the contents with the Mercantile and General Insurance Coy for £3OO.