£17,000 DAMAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22986, 14 March 1938, Page 10

£17,000 DAMAGE

SOAP FACTORY FIRE : • \ ' ?•' -Ir'-teV.: I -V^VV'J! BUILDING " " ' \ . • • • FLAMES FED BY GREASE " A SPECTACULAR OUTBREAK ' [by tei-egbaph—own correspondent]-' CHRfSTCHURCH. Sunday Fire still smoulders among the ruing? of the soap department of the Zeaiandia Soap, Candle and Trading Company's works at Belfast, where oh Saturday fierce flames consumed tons of grease, soap and wax. The damage is conservatively estimated at £17,000. The twostorey brick building about 50yds square housing the soap department" was burnt out, and other buildings and their contents were damaged.

This is the second disastrous fire in the Zealandia factory. The first, in 19-"W, also broke out in the soap department. being of unknown origin. It cost all of £15.000. On both occasions the company was covered by insurance, this time with the Phoenix Assurance Company. Limited., which will share the considerable lo^s. Terrific Ifeat '& The flames were first noticed about 1.20 p.m. on Saturday. The company has an agreement with the Christchurch Fire Board, and in accordance with this an engine was despatched from the city fire station, although the outbreak was outside its normal area. When the firemen arrived the flames had ruined the brick building housing the soap department. The burning grease gave off 1 terrific heat, and the task of the firemen in preventing the fire from spreading to other buildings was both difficult and dangerous. As it was Saturday there was no one in the soap department at the time, but another section of the

works was in use. Assisted by a steady north-east breeze the fire burned fiercely, fed by the fat from huge 80-ton vats of soap. It was impossible for the firemen to do anything in the burning building so tlie.v concentrated oil protecting the other buildings, particularly one in which was boused 1-30 tons of wax and a number of casks of tallow.

Water to fight the flames was brought on a lead of hose a quarter of s 'a mil# long from the large reservoir at the freezing works of Thomas Borthwiok and Sons, Limited. This was supplemented by a small supply from tanks at the soap works. Spectacular Sight The flames mounted to a spectacular height and a great pillar of smoke rose lugb into thp air. being clearly visible from the city. Before the fire had been burning half an hour motorist* and cyclists streamed along the main north road to the scene of the fire. Many were alarmed when grass on the roadside caught fire and several cars wer« threatened. The danger was, however, quickly eliminated by the fire fighters. Meanwhile the small party of firemen was doing its best against heavy, odds. Led by superintendent D. Barnes the men succeeded in preventing the flames from destroying other departments of the works housed in neap by buildings. ? The firp in the soap' department, however. burnt fiercely for two hours, and even alter that time was still a menace. Work to Continue Mr. C H. Shepherd, manager of the company, said last evening that the firemen had done most creditable work under extremely difficult conditions. The property and stocks were insured with the Phoenix Assurance Company, but the amount of the insurance and how the cover affected the damaged section of the works he could not accurately estimate. The damage could not yet, be definitely determined but would probably be between £17,000 and £IB.OOO, added Mr. Shepherd. The company would carry on its soap-making work in temporary premises, and it was hoped that none of the workers would lose employment because of the fire.