COTTAGES BURNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20978, 15 September 1931, Page 8

COTTAGES BURNED.

OPUNAKE BEACH FIRE. SEVEN BUILDINGS DESTROYED. EARLY MORNING OUTBREAK. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NEW PLYMOUTH. Monday. Seven beach cottages were, destroyed at Opunake early yesterday in a spectacular fire. When the alarm was given at about 4 30 a.m. by a young man whose parents reside on the beach, two unoccupied cottages at the end of the beach were in flames. In the absence of a fire brigade and owing to no water being available, the crowd that assembled could do nothing to check the flames, which spread rapidly to the adjoining five cottages. When the flames reached a cottage owned by Mr. G. Clouston there was a g?..p of about 20ft. to Mr. Burton's cottage, and the fire was held in check there, so that Mr. Burton's cottage escaped. All the buildings destroyed were in the front lino nearest the beach. Fortunately it was a fairly calm morning. Had there been a strong wind blowing in from the sea the destruction would have been much greater. Three of the cottages burned wero owned by Mr. A. E. Brunette. Two of It esc were occupied by Mr. I'urdey and family and Mr. Thomas Kay and family respectively. With the assistance of helpers they were able to save all their belongings. The other were owned by Messrs. H. Parkes, Tl 11. H. Sinclair, J. Conaglen (New Plymouth) and G. Clouston. Those owned by Messrs. Brunette aud Sinclair were insured. The origin of the outbreak is a mystery, as the building in which it started had been unoccupied.