FIRE AT MOTUEKA

Nelson Evening Mail, 19 May 1917, Page 4

FIRE AT MOTUEKA

FRUIT EVAPORATING AND PULPING WORKS DESTROYED-. ' At, about 11.30 Inst evening a fire broke out in Parson and Co.'s Fruit Evaporating \V,,rks (G. Budden, owner), and spread to Thompson and Hill's Fruit i' Works adjoining. Both buildings were destroyed It appears that late last evening Mr U. Budden was on the drying floor in the kiln. He became aware of a rather intense heat, and on going out to investigate found the building full of smoke. He made a rush for the door, and only succeeded in escaping himself, receiving as it was some injury from burns. The whole building was a mass of flames almost immediately, and it was not long before the window facings on Thomson and Hill's corrugated iron building, about 25 yardi; distant across a right-of-way, had caught, and it soon became apparent that the whole building was doomed. The alarm was given by telephone just a« the exchange was being closed for the. night, and the Fire Brigade was quickly on the scene, but it was found impossible to use the appliances, as the pipe to conuectiiou was near the burning building, and the heat far too intense to permit of operations. Mr Budden. it is understood, had an insurance of £800" on the building"*and plant, but stock valued at. £SOO was not insured. The bulk of this was to have been shipped to-day. Mr Budden had recently made important additions to his plant, and was in the height of the season. Therefore his loss is a considerable one. Thompson and Hill's fruit pulping factory was valued at about £(2000, but the insurances aye held at the head office in Auckland, and are not known locally. The fruit pulping season had practically finished. Willing helpers ■rendered all assistance possible in saving stock and plant from the building. About ICO casks of pulp out of about 300 in the building were saved. The factories have been dealing with a considerable quantity of fruit, and their destruction is a lo?s to the district.