FIRES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10111, 9 August 1893, Page 5

FIRES.

[Per Pshss Association.] AUCKLAND, August 8. A fire occurred in Vermont street, resulting in the destruction of three five-roomed houses owned by Messrs A. H. Nathan and Neil M’Laan, and insured in the New Zealand office for £IOO, the Royal for ,£125, aad the South British for £IOO. The furniture of one house was insured in the Manchester office for £IOO. A seven-roomed cottage in Lower High street was destroyed by fire last night. The fire had obtained a good hold before the fire engines could arrive at the spot, and the first work of the Brigade was to prevent its spread to the adjoining bouse. One steamer* was stationed at the corner of Barbadoes and St Asaph streets, and the other at Manning’s Brewery. The bouse was the property of Mr Carmichael, builder, of Wellington, and the amount of insurance, if any, is unknown. The occupiers were Mr and Mrs Toby and family. At the time of the fire both parents were absent, and Mien Toby (nineteen) and a lad of thirteen and three younger children were at home. The origin of the fire appears to have been the ignition of the ceiling of one of the bedrooms by a lamp that had been placed ■on a high corner shelf in order to warm the room for ono of the children who was suffering from asthma. A crackling sound called the attention of Miss Toby to the fire, and she had barely time to run into the street with the youngest boy before the flames had obtained possession of the building, Mr Bates, who has a shop near at hand, and Mr Davie, endeavoured, after seeing that the other children were safe, to remove some of the furniture, but without success, the flames and smoke driving them back. It was a most fortunate circumstance that the younger children were up and about, as a day or two previously they were ill with measles. The furniture, it is stated, was not covered by insurance, a policy which had for some time been in existence having been allowed to lapse.