FIRE AT DEVONPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16214, 27 April 1916, Page 9

FIRE AT DEVONPORT.

-| v:- - • ——;♦ ,;r ' .. ■;' OUTBREAK EXTINGUISHED. ■;;' ' i — ' . . SUPPOSED INCENDIARISM. SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES, SSffifs ' '•• • |ptj£ FIRE occurred under suspicious circum;.Tstances in an empty five-roomed dwelling. $/j.;h&us9 in Calliopo Road, Devonport, '| ;; owned by Mrs. Bolton, of Remuera, yesgterday afternoon. The damage was ini";-" x significant. |P Shortly before 3 p.m. Captain Miller, §§fbf the Devonport Fire Brigade, was workt ing near the house in question when ho ;v\ noticed a large volume of smoko issuing t- from it. He rushed immediately to the ■ spot, and with the aid of a few buckets a,of water succeeded in extinguishing the I outbreak. Upon investigation later, with i' Constable McCarthy, he found what ar« \ regarded as strong indications that the s house had been wilfully set on fire. Restv ing on the plates supporting tho floor I joists, there was found a quantity of dry \ grass, which had apparently been satur- ' ated with an inflammabi.3 oil. Further f. ; inquiries elicited tho fact that a boy hi": seen a man in the garden of tbr, house \ just before the fire, and then Constable : McCarthy rcmembeied seeing two men ' coming away from the fir a at tho time \ when everybody else was. going towards • it„ The description of one of these men. ' ■ corresponded with that given by the 5 boy. Captain Miller stated that ho was certain that the tire could not have been accidental. Tho house had been empty I for some time. f. The Devonport Fire Brigade was summoned, but the fire bad been practically . extinguished by Captain Miller when it arrived. The fire had just commenced I to scorch tb-it flooring boards when it was ! discovered, and, consequently, only little i damage was done. It was not ascertain- ■ able yesterday whether the building was j : insured • Up to a late hour last nightno errest had been made in connection' . - ..with the fire. \