FIRE CALF.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 110, 9 April 1934, Page 8

FIRE CALF.

OUTBREAK IN DRAPERY STORE. An oversight in leaving an electric iron with the power on during the absence of an employee at lunch led to an outbreak of fire being automatically signalled at the Fire Station from the P.D.C. premises in the Square a few minutes after 1 p.m. to-day. Fearing that an outbreak of some magnitude might have occurred two engines were despatched from the station, but on arrival on the scene those fears were dismissed, although it only required the small auxiliary hose to quench the outbreak. Between the hours of 12 o’clock and 1 p.m. the furnishing workroom of the drapery establishment is closed, and the staff members in the general departments were quite unconscious that anything untoward ‘ had occurred until the thermostatic automatic fire alarm bell at tlie front of the building rang out. The indicator board disclosed that the seat of the outbreak was at the rear of the building and it was not till a few moments later that the search led to the discovery of the fire in the workroom. The signal had also been instantaneously received at the fire station and the brigade arrived on the scene at almost the same moment as the fire was discovered. Running a light hose through the shop, a task which presented some difficulty owing to the length required with the result that the engine had to be backed into the kerbing at the front of the building, the outbreak was quickly quelled without any material damage being done. The iron had been resting on a spacious ironing board whereon was also a bolt of calico and some windowblind trimmings, all of which suffered and it is estimated that the damage would amount to approximately. £25. Attracted by the presence of the engines, together with the fact that the alarm bell at the main entrance continued to ring, a crowd quickly gathered in the neighbourhood. Owing to the key required to turn off the power which had set the alarm sounding not having been brought from the fire station, a folded piece of paper was brought into use to dull the hammer of the bell.