SERIES OF FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19214, 31 December 1925, Page 8

SERIES OF FIRES.

BUSY DAY FOR BRIGADES. MOTOR-BUS BODY DAMAGED. SEVERAL GRASS OUTBREAKS. Seven fires, none being of a serious nature, occurred in Auckland yesterday. A motor-bus which runs from Pitt Street, to the Hospital and is owned by Mr. Huxtable caught fire while standing in Brixton Road, Mount Eden, at about half-past six in the morning. The outbreak was due to the backfiring of the engine. The body of the vehicle was burning fiercely when the brigade arrived and it was badly damaged. The City Fire Brigade was called out on five occasions. The first was to a wash-house at the residence of Mr. R. D. Matchett in Crummer Road, Grey Lynn. This was a few minutes after nine o'clock. The fire was confined to the wash-house, which was badly damaged. Then followed four other fires. At halfpast ten the brigade was called to the Domain, where grass was being burned off in the vicinity of the Burns statue. The call was given by mistake as the fire was under proper control. At half-past one a call was received from Mountain Road, where a number of logs were being burned at the rear of a property. Another call was to a grass fire in the City Council's reserve in Gillies Avenue, Epsom. The City and Mount Albert brigades were strenuously occupied for about two hours at mid-day in subduing an extensive gorse fire between the railway line and New North Road. Several houses on the road were seriously threatened by the fire and only narrowly escaped through the good work of the brigades. A number of fences and were scorched. BLAZE AT BLENHEIM. TWO SHOPS BURNED OUT. ADJOINING PREMISES SAVED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] BLENHEIM. Wednesday. Two shops in the business quarter of the town were totally destroyed by fire this morning at 2.30. One was occupied by Mr. William Bateman, cycle dealer, and the other by Mr. Mervyn Patch eft, confectioner. Both were practically burned out before the alarm was given. Tho brigade made a remarkable save of the adjoining buildings. The shops were owned by Mr. J. B. Rayner. One was insured for £375, including plateglass and fixtures, and the other for £270, including plate-glass, both in the Phoenix office. Mr. Bateman's stock was covered by £350 in the Phoenix office, and Mr. Patchett's stock was insured for £6OO. The adjoining shops are, owned by Messrs. S. Adams and Mrs. J. Hood, and occupied by Mrs. M. Scollard and E. and J. Walton, both ladies' outfitters. Both premises were slightly damaged by smoke ami water. Mrs. Scollard's insurances are not known. Messrs. Walton's stock was insured for £3OO in tho Sun office. The damage was very slight. The outbreak started in the rear of Mr. Patchett's shop, but the cause is unknown. SCRUB FIRE AT ROTOBUA. CLEAN SWEEP TO THE WATER [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] P.OTOEUA. Wednesday. The fire in the Government gardens made a clean sweep of the scrub to the water's edge. A RESIDENCE BUENEI). OWNER HAS NARROW ESCAPE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] MORRINSVILLE. Wednesday. A four-roomed house on Tahuna Road, Morrinsvillo, with all its contents, was totally destroyed by fire, last evening. The owner and occupant, Mr. James Corkery, was awakened in his bed by falling debris and narrowly escaped being burned. Mrs. Corkery was away on holiday. Nothing was saved. The house was insured for £450 and the furniture for £IOO, both in the Phoenix office.