SUSPICIOUS FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20420, 23 November 1929, Page 12

SUSPICIOUS FIRE.

SCHOOL AT CHRISTCHURCH.

EARLY MORNING OUTBREAK.

BRIGADE SAVES BUILDING.

[BY TELECIUnr. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH. Friday. Damage amounting to £2OO was done by a fire which broke out in a mysterious fashion ir. the manual training block at the Sydenham School shortly after two o'clock this morning. The fire, which originated on a landing outside the domestic science room, was first noticed about 2.30 a.m. by a policeman, who saw the glare through a window. He gave the alarm and then broke into the school, which was blazing fiercely. The firemen, who arrived a few minutes afterwards, had a difficult fight, but managed to confine the fire to the landing." Considerable damage had, however, been done. (The floor, walls and roof of the landing were badly burned, as were some cupboards. The fire had penetrated to the women teachers' office, and' books and uniforms belonging to the teachers were damaged by heat and water. A piece of blazing timber which fell over the banisters had started a small fire in a cupboard below, where woodwork articles were stored. The pantry of the domestic science department beside the landing was not touched by the flames, but it is expected that some damage will have been done to the goods by the heat and smoke.

It is not known how the firQ originated. The caretaker finished cleaning at 5 p.m. yesterday, and then locked up the block. There was nothing of an inflammablo nature on the landing, and geither gas nor electric light was laid on. The cupboards contained only brooms and cleaning materials. Although there is no £irect evidence, it would appear that the fire was deliberately started. All doors and windows opecing on to the street and yard -were locked, but there is a way by which an agile person could have gained an entrance to the building. The manual training department is a recent addition to the school buildings.

All classes in the building were suspended to-day. The building is covered under the Education Department's general policy, and the teachers have a coverjjf £SO on their personal belongings.