OUTBREAKS OF FIRE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10104, 23 March 1909, Page 3

OUTBREAKS OF FIRE.

Tie ignition of a heap of rubbish in the ■ncinirv'ot Mr Simpson's furnnure factory :u Steward street, in the building known :i» the tiki Drill Hall, was responsible for an alarm of tire being sounded at about nine o'clock last evening. The brigade ■pickly responded, and "the fire was exiißiniisheii before anv damage resulted. The oriirin of the outbreak is uuexplainible other than as the result of carelessira or intent. X» sooner had the excitement caused last ttvnin:; bv the first alarm of fire sukideil and to'wnfolk were again quietly saonced in their homes, than their tranfffiity was disturbed by the firebell ■Simrtni;" out a second appeal. This Kilt lli."0. at which time a fire was dis"Weil in a r.xim used for the storage of Pfa at the North Otago Times office. fema'.i'lv. the fire was discovered in an nripienr stlnre. and its extinguishment Ws eaiilv effected without a great deal I of damaire beins done, but not before the saoke had penneated the whole establish-' I »fflt, temporarily deranging the opera--1 tions «; our contemp>rary"s staff. Like tb sre which preceded it. the origin is •>nly explainable as the result of carelessness or intent on the part of some person whose business did not warrant aim beia; about the premises. The door leading to the room is usually kept locked; but last night it was found that it had nnlv been partially closed. . The frequency with which fires have "iralcen out since the beginning of the is out of all proportion to the size 'if the town, and should they continue & the present rate the number of calls wpomled to bv the Brigade for their "•*elve mor.ihlv"period will constitute a ireratd. Alreadv the Brigade have [»swer*4 their s'ixth summons since the "Wanning «.;' the vear, and it is soriierfat discon.ertimr" to note that on only •ne .jcc::s"on have" they been called upon So deal with a tire the cause of which 'Mid reisonablv be attributed to justifiiKe accident. 'For the other five, it is fortunate that thev have been dealt with in their inirid stages, for in not one instance v../abi the "result, had the tire «t a g0.i.1 hold, have been otherwise than jtasenous. and eostlv damage would have W ciased. And it is also noteworthy 'natjnot cr.iv h.u< the usual -mystery of irtrin" surrounded those fires that have «carre.! within the inuear area, but :n K ay ir.star...e the outbreak has lieen 60 iwated a.i to ;ive rise to suspicion that jsne fire was itue to wanton carelessness I * evil intent on the part of trespassers. la* responsibilities carried by business len to the <n;ietuide of their homes are "fficiectly hc-avv without having thrust * them" the tear that at any moment *e fireb..!! niav sunmon the Brigade_ to >nch a fire caused bv some unauthorised *itor to the backyard of their business Ptemfees.