ARSON SUSPECTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20960, 25 August 1931, Page 8

ARSON SUSPECTED.

lIERNE BAY FLATS FIRE. POLICE MAKE AN ARREST. PROMPT WORK OF BRIGADE. OPINION OF SUPERINTENDENT. Prompt action by the Citf and Western Districts Fire Brigades prevented the destruction of a large house in Sentinel Road, lierrie Bay, shortly after two o'clock yesterday morning. Two plainclothes constables who were patrolling the district noticed the glow of fire in the building and called out the brigades. About 15 people, including a number of children and a woman, aged 70, who is the caretaker, escaped in their, night attire.

The building, a very old one, comprising 19 rooms and apartments, and known as Sentinel Flats, was well alight when the engines arrived. Flames were beginning to find"!heir way from one large central room to the roof, and only quick work by the firemen prevented the fire from runn ing through . the house. * The damage was mainly confined to an unoccupied room, which was badly charred. Incipient outbreaks in other places were easily suppressed. The flats are owned by Mr. Charles Vernon, a tailor, of Victoria Street West. They are insured with the Guardian Assurance Company, Limited, 'for £3500, and the contents with the same office for £7OO. Mr. Wilson's Comments. Discussing the fire last evening, Superintendent W. L. Wilson, of the Auckland Fire Brigade, expressed,the opinion that it was a deliberate case of incendiarism. Further than that, the outbreak had been started, he said, by a method he had not seen employed in Auckland before. "When the brigade reached the scene.", said Mr. Wilson, "it was discovered that four separate fires entirely unconnected were burning in widely scattered parts cf the house —all in unoccupied flats. It is the clearest case of a building having been deliberately set on fire that I can recall, and I have many instances of alleged incendiarism in Auckland. Even a layman could see that it was no accidental occurrence."

The brigade was lucky in being called promptly to the fire, Mr. Wilson continued. If the fire had got "another five minutes' start ail evidence of incendiarism would have been destroyed. Worse than that, the lives of the sleeping occupants would have been in peril. It would hara been a death trap. Combustible Material. A "nest" containing inflammable matter had been inserted in a kind of pocket between the floor joists of the roof of the basement, said Superintendent Wilson. The fire had burned through the basement roof v.-hen discovered. Here tlia greatest damage was done. Another site selected was a wardrobe, and still another, a cupboard containing a gas metsi\j At a fourth point the attempt bad failed. The police had in their possession several partly burned bundles •of combustible material.

Detectives wore, engaged on the case all yesterday, and late in the afternoon Detective Knight made an arrest. The man concerned will appear in the Police Court this morning.