HEAVY FIRE LOSS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23620, 2 April 1940, Page 8

HEAVY FIRE LOSS

CHEESE FACTORY LARGE STOCKS DESTROYED PLANT REPLACEMENT PROBLEM [by telegraph —OWN correspondent] PAEROA, Monday The Hikutaia cheese factory, owned bv tho New Zealand Dairy Company, Limited, together with 40 tons of cheese, was destroyed by fire early this morning. The fire was discovered by ono of the employees residing near the factory. Every effort was made to cope with the flames, but without success. The entire building and the plant were destroyed. Tho dav's milk supply to the factory was diverted to the Wharenoa factory some 10 miles' away. The loss of the factory is greater on account of difficulty in replacing plant. NAPIER OUTBREAK FURNITURE FACTORY DAMAGED [bt telegraph —OWN correspondent] NAPIER, Monday Fire caused extensive damage to the furniture factory and mortuary chapel of C. E. Rogers and Company, Emerson Street, Napier. Sweeping through highly-inflammable materials, the fire soon gained a strong hold and burst through tho roof. Frequent explosions were due to gas. It was not possible to disconnect the gas supply until an hour or more had elapsed. Garages on each side of tho mortuary chapel in Tennyson Street were endangered at the height of the fire and from these large numbers of motor-cars wero moved to safety. . Timber and roofing iron had to bo torn awnv to reach the seat of the fire. Kapok formed a large part of the material stored in the building and fresh outbreaks in this proved difficult to deal with. Brigadesmen undertook hazardous work in climbing on to the blading roof to fight the flames at close range. , , , , I'art of the machinery may bo salvaged. The building and machinery were insured for £750 with the Sun Insurance Office, Limited, and portion of the stock for £l/50 with the South British Insurance Company, Limited. Largo stocks of materials on iiand were not covered by insurance.