SPECTACULAR FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 10

SPECTACULAR FIRE.

GARAGE AT WHAKATANE. SIX CARS DESTROYED. rapid spread of flames. SEVERAL EXPLOSIONS OCCUR. [BY TELEGRAPH.—rOWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WHAKATANE. Tuesday. The most spectacular fire that has occurred in Whakatane for many years completely destroyed the Royal Mail Company's garage in Wairere Street last evening. The alarm was given shortly after five o'clock. The fire had a strong hold of the building, dense smoke issuing from all parts, while the back portion was in a mass of flames. The building, a large wooden one, which had been used as a motor garage for the past ten years, burned very fiercely and the flames spread with great rapidity. The fire brigade directed its mam effort to saving the adjoining buildings, which consisted -of a benzine store and bowser and the old Wairere hall, now used as a sample room. Although the flames appeared to leap over the adjoining buildings the brigade were successful in their efforts to savti them. In a very short time a large crowd assembled to witness the fire which blazed brilliantly and lit up the whole of th«i, town area. Many willing helpers assisted the brigade in their work. Bursting o! Oil Drums. During the progress of the fire them were startling explosions as the petrol tanks of the six motor-cars garaged in the building blew up. Oil drums also burst and added their contents to feed the flames. Attempts were made to rescue the motor-cars, but the dense fumes which filled the building rendered futile such salvage work. For fully an hour the fire raged furiously and the roar of the flames was deafening at times. It was only by hard and persistent effort that the brigade was enabled to save the adjoining buildings. The origin of the fire is a mystery. Only about ten minutes before the outbreak' the local manager, Mr. C. Wallace, and Mr. J. A. Ruddy, the secretary of the Royal Mail Company, put a car into the garage and everything appeared to be safe when they left. Mr. W. Evans, the caretaker of the garage, was near the benzine store a few yards away and he was the first to discover the fire. He rushed into the garage and endeavoured to push out a new Hudson car which the company had purchased recently. However, the smoke which enveloped the interior of the building rendered his efforts futile and he had to beat a hurried exit. Nothing Saved From Building. Several spectators who were early on the scene also endeavoured to save the cars, but they were forced to abandon the attempt on account of the dense volume of smoke. Nothing was saved from the garage, although an attempt was also made to break the outer wall of the tyre room to salvage the stock of tyres. Six motor-cars contained in the building were destroyed. The car placed there by Mr. Wallace a few minutes before the outbreak was a new Hudson, while Mr. White, machinery inspector, also garaged an Armstrong Siddeley car belonging to his department in the building shortly before the fire. The other cars were a Buick, belonging to Sargood, Son and Ewen; a Dodge, belonging to Mr. G. Peagram; a Ford, belonging to Mr. J. A. Ruddy and Mr. W. R. Sloane, and a Chevrolet belonging to Mr. E. W. Beckett. / There was no insurance on the cars of Messrs. Ruddy and Sloane or Mr. Peagram, but it is understood there are covers on the building and the other cars.