FIRE ON COBDEN RAILWAY BRIDGE.

Grey River Argus, 23 February 1949, Page 4

FIRE ON COBDEN RAILWAY BRIDGE.

But for the speedy way in which the Cobden Fire Brigade was advised and arrived on the scene, a tire which broke out. in the supporting piles of the Cobden railway bridge early last evening might have had serious repercussions for the mining industry in the Runanga area. Shortly before 6.45 p.m. the Cobden Brigade received notification that the boarded-up piles on the Cobden end of the Greymouth-Runanga railway bridge, running parallel to the Cobden traffic bridge, were on fire. When the brigade arrived a few minutes later, the flames were licking up towards the superstructure, and the seat of the fire was in a difficult position, but . fortunately close to the side of the river bank. The use of buckets, with water being thrown down from ladders, and a hand-pump placed on the bridge itself, soon had the flames under control and the brigade was able to leave within a few minutes. The cause of the outbreak is a mystery, but it was probably due to falling embers from one of the numerous coal trains which pass over the bridge at. frequent intervals.