GIRLS’ HOSTEL FIRE

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1944, Page 3

GIRLS’ HOSTEL FIRE

300 GET OUT SAFELY AT WOBURN. P.A. WELLINGTON, Feb. 17. A two-storey wooden building used as a cafeteria and lounge at the girls’ hostel, Hawkins Street, Woburn, w.as destroyed by fire early to-day. Girls sleeping in adjacent dormitories, were not awakened by the fire until it got a good hold, and they and others summoned the Lower Hutt Brigade at 2.12 a.m. When the brigade arthe roof had already fallen in. Fanner by a northerly breeze, the flames had a good hold, endangering other wooden buildings in the hostel group. Brigadesmen concentrated on saving the kitchen enn of the burning building, and preventing the fire from spreading from the other end of the building to the dormitory building about 15 feet away. In this they were successful. About fifty girl’s were sleeping in the building nearest the one on fire; although, about 300 were at the hostel, and they made an orderly withdrawal from the dormitories, most of them in their night attire.