FIRE IN TOY SHOP.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 23 December 1927, Page 8

FIRE IN TOY SHOP.

GIRLS HAVE NARROW ESCAPE. ONE WOMAN INJURED. (by TELEGRAPH—PRESB ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 22. A iire broke out in Mir Norman Aitken’s book arcade, 5 Courtenay Place, at about a quarter past four this afternoon, and the occupants of the magic cave had a narrow escape from death. The fire, it is believed, probably was caused by a ivire in the toy cave fusing The cave was manufactured of highly inflammable matter and burst into flames at once. The twq> girls of 13 and 14, escaped from the. cave only just in tame, while the clothes of Father Christmas caught fire and he managed to free himself from the heavy gown ba.rely in time to escape serious injury. One employee of the firms, Mrs N. Carroll, was burned on the left upper arm, face and neck, and was taken. by the ambulance to- her home in Willis Street. The other girls reached the street without injury. The fire brigade was promptly on the spot and suppressed the fire in half an hour. Tarpaulins, spread over the counters in the toy department, saved much of the stock from serious damage. The outbreak was localised on the first floor, where the building and stock wore damaged by fire( smoke and water, stock in the book department on the ground floor escaping injury, but most of the goods upstairs suffered. The stock was insured for £5250 in the Standard Insurance Company, and for £250 in the Victoria Insurance Company. The fittings, were . insured for £SOO in the Standard Office.