FIRE ON SCHOONER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23601, 9 March 1940, Page 10

FIRE ON SCHOONER

VESSEL AT WHAEF flames soon suppressed USE OF SPECIAL CHEMICAL Smoke pouring through a skylight on a schooner which arrived at Auckland on Wednesday attracted a large crowd to Hobson Wharf yesterday afternoon. The fire started when benzine was being poured into a small auxiliary engine, and then spread rapidly to other benzine spilled on to the floor. From there it ran to grease and oil collected in the bilges, and was carried about 30ft. under the saloon.

When it was found that the schooner's own fire-fighting, apparatus could not cope with the spread of flames, a call was made to the central fire station, and two engines quickly arrived at the wharf. The firemen brought into play a foam generator, using about 500 gallons of a special chemical mixture designed to fight benzine and oil fires. The foam formed a coating on the oil and benzine in the bilges and smothered the flames. Because of the oil funics in the engincroom, the firemen also used oxygen masks. They soon extinguished the flames and saved the schooner from serious damage. It was stated later that fortunately three large tanks containing benzine did not burst, and the only damage done was superficial burning of the engine, bilges and some of the ship's timbers.

OUTBREAK IN FACTORY SPARKS IG.MTK SHAVINGS Minor damage was caused by a fire which broke out just before noon Yesterday in a wood products factory at' 10 Princes Street, Onehunga, occupied by J3. J. Ball, Limited, and owned by Mr. V. Barfoot, of Wheturanfci Road. The outbreak was the result of sparks from a welding set igniting shavings. Machines from the Onehunga and Great South Road fire stations attended and experienced no difficulty in suppressing the fire. THREE FAMILIES HOMELESS APARTMENT HOUfeE FIRE [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION ] BLENHEIM. Friday Three families are homeless as the result of two outbreaks of fire in the same apartment house in two hours last night. a The brigade was first called to an 11-roomed, semi-two-storey wooden house in York Terrace, at 9.15, when the single storey portion, comprising five rooms, was well ablaze. These rooms were shared by the families of Mr. D- H. McFedries and Mrs. C. Thompson. The outbreak appeared to be extinguished when the brigade loft, hut two hours later the front two-storey section of the premises burst into flames, which burned out three unoccupied upstairs rooms. Ground floor rooms occupied by Mr. W. Merrigold suffered from water damage to the furniture, which was not insured. The building was insured for £3OO.