DESTRUCTION BY FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20985, 23 September 1931, Page 10

DESTRUCTION BY FIRE.

TAUPIRI SERVICE STATION. VALUABLE PLANT BURNED. CAR AND MOTOR-CYCLE LOST. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] TAUPIRI, Tuesday. A serious fire occurred in Taupiri between 11 and 12 o'clock last night, when the Taupiri garage and service station, owned by Mr. R. T. Ilill, was guttedTho building was an iron one. Tho fire was discovered by Mr. Hill on his return from a meeting of the South Auckland Rugby League, of which ho is president. On opening the front door Mr. Ilill discovered the interior to be full of smoke. A light breeze was blowing, and tho garage was soon a mass of (lames. It was impossible to save any of the contents of tho building, which included valuable modern machinery. A Chevrolet car used as a taxi, and a motor-cycle which was in the garage for repairs wero also destroyed. The books and papers in the safe were scorched, but are readable. Mr. Ilill is a very heavy loser. Mr. C. Hill, son of Mr. R. T. Hill, usually sleeps on the premises, but ho was at Morrinsville, having driven a party to a dance there, and nobody was on tho premises when tho fire began. FAMILY'S NARROW ESCAPE. AWAKENED JUST IN TIME. [BY TEIjEUHAPII. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] PALMEKSTON NORTH, Tuesday. The occupants of a seven-roomed huiisc in Ruahiuo Street had a narrow escape when tho building was gutted by firo at about three o'clock this morning. Mr. and Mis. F. Sims and their family occupy tho dwelling, and they were awakened by tho crying of a child. Tho found tho flames' were breaking through the wall of a bedroom and tho house was then thoroughly ablaze. In making her escape, Mrs. Sims had her hair singed. PAPATOETOE HOUSE DAMAGED. TOWN HALL THREATENED. The timely discovery of an outbreak of firo in an unoccupied four-roomed house adjoining the Papatoetoe Town Hall saved tho latter building from serious damage early yesterday morning. 'the firo was noticed in its early stages by a neighbour shortly before two o'clock and the Papatoetoe brigade was summoned. Before its arrival, Messrs. Fred Knight and IT. McMechan tackled the outbreak As the flames spread and enveloped the side of tho house, some 10 feet from tho hall, the windows of the hall broke and tongues of flames reached up to tho eaves. The projecting rafters began to smoulder and the fire obtained a hold in the ceiling. Tho brigade connected a lead from the high-pressure main to the house and used its auxiliary outfit to suppress the fire in the hall. The back rooms of the house and the walls were badl.v damaged and the front rooms scorched and. blackened by smoke. The house, which is owned by Mr. T. Vallance, of Waiuku, has been vacant for over a year.