INCIPIENT FIRE

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3573, 4 March 1924, Page 5

INCIPIENT FIRE

PROPERTY ALIGHT IN TWO PLACES. Since the recent disastrous blaze in the Square, Palmerstonians have heard the ringing of the fire bell with expectations of another sensation, but again last night the large theatre crowd that thronged Main Street West was doomed to disappointment. The sounding of the engine whistles in the shunting yards at 10.25 p.m., and the subsequent ringing of the central station bell drew a big crowd in the wake of the brigade. The scene of the oautbreak was an old 5-moomed residence opposite the engine sheds in Main Street, that stands on a large section some distance from the road. An interior wall of the washhouse had caught alight, and the rear of the back porch, some eight yards from the outhouse, was also alight. The incipient blaze was extinguished with n couple of buckets of water, and. no damage of any moment was done. The property is owned by Mr E. Fisher, of Palermes Street, and was occupied until yesterday morning by Mr W. Rickard, but had been unoccupied since then. blaze at arrowtown, [Per Press Association.] INVERCARGILL, Last Night. A fire on Sunday morning destroyed Jopp’s Royal Oak Hotel, Arrowtown and the shops of Messrs. T. Ure, tobacconist, and H. Bruce, draper, When discovered, the fire, which is still a mystery, had a good hold and the brigade was powerless, all three shops being demolished in half an hour. The adjacent buildings, though scorched and blistered were saved. Luckily, there was no wind, or the greater part of the business section of the town would have been demolished. The insurances are; On the Oak Hotel, £1500; Mr Tire’s shop, £225; Mr Bruce’s, £550. Mr Jopp ealimates his loss at £4OOO. XLMBEB BLAZE AT SIDING.

DUNEDIN, Last Night. A serious fire occurred on Sunday night at Campbell’s siding, situated a mile from Tahakopa. A quantity of fallen manuka on the opposite side of the railway line was fired on Sunday morning, and at seven p.m. the siding was ablaze. There was 250,000 feet of sawn timber on the siding, n large quantity being bone dry. In consequence, the fire soon had a firm hold. Five railway trucks on the siding were quickly loaded with dressed lines and shunted to safety. An effort was made to remove the remainder, but after 20,000 feet had been carried to safety, the heat became too intense for further operations and the flames demolished timber and siding, and a large shed. The timber was insured, but there are no details to the amount.