Volunteer- Brigade Saved Kaikohe Mill

Northern Advocate, 21 May 1949, Page 7

Volunteer- Brigade Saved Kaikohe Mill

KAIKOHE, Sat. (Sp.) .—One of Kaikohe’s most spectacular blazes went dangerously close to destroying thousands of pounds’ worth of mill buildings, machinery and timber yesterday afternoon.

Coinciding with the one o'clock whistle, the fire siren brought the Kaikohe Volunteer Fire Brigade to the Kaikohe Timber Company’s mill, of which Mr R. Winger, of Kaikohe, is managing director." ■ \

The fire had secured a powerful hold in a 20ft stack Of saw ft timber ahd the brigadesmen spent 2\ hours bringing it under control. The stack was only a- few feet from the main building, in ' which was housed the mill machinery, virtually irreplaceable today, and a large quantity of timber.

a back road and drew water from a considerable creek, the Wairoro. running at the rear of the mill yard, from where it was not accessible owing to the presence of timber stacks. Smoke spread throughout the area and made the fire-fighters’ task one of the hardest they had yet experienced. Flames were at one time rising 20ft above the burning lengths of timber. 1 Water was played on the side of the mill building and on o*her piles of timber, on sawdust and refuse heaps to prevent the danger of spreading. USED FOR HOUSING These tactics were successful and, by mid-afterftoon. all danger was over. If the mill and its timber had been destroyed, a serious blow would have been struck against building Operations in Bay’df Islands alid Northland, as all the production is going into muchneeded houses.

Nearby were other stacks and logs, while immediately adjacent were several mill houses', including that of the mill manager (Mr E.. Gardiner). During the morning an employee had lit a pile of Shavings aftd, until the lunch break, had kept it under supervision. A change of wind took place during the spell and when the men returned it was seen that the fire had spread under a group Of sawn lengths stacked on end. The alarm was given immediately ahd the brigade was on the spot within two minutes. ' drew water from creek

The Water supply to the mill is taken from a l'in street pipe, and the 6in main of the town supply ends 2000 yards away. -ri.„ linrW Cnnl. T FT-

“Had it not been, for the brigade’s prompt response and smart work, the whole place would have gone,” commented the mill manager last evening.

“As it was. damage was restricted in Ihn n.-trrinnl nil- of 3000 n- 1()np r..-f