FIRE AT OPUNAKE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 December 1928, Page 4

FIRE AT OPUNAKE

HEAVY DAMAGE SUFFERED.

MOTOR TRUCKS AND BUILDINGS A TOTAL LOSS.

Heavy damage was done by a fire which broke out in the business premises of Air A. E. AtcDonahd, at Opunake, at 1.30 o'clock this morning. A corrugated iron building;, (subdivided into a garage, coal shed and office, was completely destroyed, and three motor trucks and some stocks of coal, ooke, oil, cement and manures wei© also lost. The amount of damage iis estimated to be between £2OOO and £3OOO.

The building was situated on the main road running through Opunake and at a distance of about a quarter of a mile from the centre of the town. The alarm was given by Airs Bairra--olough, who lives opposite, and seine neighbours were quickly on the scene, but as there was no water supply available, nothing could be done to check the flames, which had a good liclid when the outbreak was first noted. The books from the office were saved, but the rest of the contents and stocks were lost.

The amounts of the insurances on the three lorries, two- .of five tons register and one of two tons, were not ascertainable this morning, but there was a comprehensive po'iicy of £225 on the other stocks of manures, etc. The building was insured in the Guardian 'Office for the following amounts: Garage £2OO, coal shed £SO, and office £25. Air AlcDonald resides :in Auckland. The manager of the busines'S, Mr G-. Boyle, was absent in Manaia. last nigbit, and did not know about the file until hater this morning.

The nearest building adjacent to the fire was a concrete . liou.se owned by Mr AlcDonald, but this was noit threatened by the outberak. A fence and a private garage or the property was at one time considered to be in danger, but the application of water from one of the house tanks relieved the .situation.

The origin of the fire is unknown, but it appears to have started on the south iside of the garage in which the lorries were boused.