DWELLING BURNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21921, 3 October 1934, Page 10

DWELLING BURNED

FAMILY AT BREAKFAST INSURANCES TOTAL £llsO [by telegraph —OWN- correspondent] PAEROA, Tuesday A six-roomed house in Hikutaia, the property of Mr. Malcolm C. Morrison, was completely destroyed by fire this morning. Mr. Morrison and his family were in the kitchen having breakfast and a son returning from the cowshed noticed smoke issuing from the front of the building. He hurried inside and warned the family, who rushed to the front where they found the front bedroom in flames. The fire had such a strong hold and spread so rapidly that in a very few moments the entire house was a furnace. The family barely had time to make their escape and were unable to remove any of the contents. There was a strong gale blowing in the direction of the outbuilding, which it was impossible to save. It was with some difficulty that a motor-lorry was rescued from the garage. The house was insured in the Eagle, Star and British Dominions Company for £950, while the furniture was covered for £2OO with Lloyds. STORE AT XIHXKXHX DETAILS OF INSURANCE [from our own correspondent] TE AWAMUTU, Tuesday The building and contents of the general store at Kihikihi owned by W. F. Lees and Company, which wins destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon, were insured with £he New Zealand Insurance Company for £2300. HOUSE AT MOUNT EDEN OCCUPANTS' HURRIED EXIT Fire destroyed a six-roomed house owned by Mrs. A. Pickering, 11 Cecil Road, Mount Eden, early yesterday morning, the occupants having little time in which to leave before part of the roof collapsed. The fire was discovered at about 2.15 o'clock by Miss E. Goodwin, who was awakened by the noise of the flames, and she aroused Mr. H. Pickering and Mr. H. Bell, who were in the house, and Mr. F. Riekard, who was sleeping in a bach at tlijo back. They had time only to dress hurriedly and remove a few personal effects before the flames, fanned by a high wind, spread through the whole of the house. When the brigade arrived the building was well alight, and the roof, which was of slate, collapsed when the beams supporting it were burned through. The Mount Eden and Parnell brigades extinguished the fire with some difficulty. The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen, although the stove there was extinguished at about 9 p.m. A neighbour stated that he noticed a smell of burning at about midnight, but could not trace it. Mrs. Pickering was away at the time of the fire. The house was insured in the New Zealand office for £7OO and the furniture in the South British office for £2OO.