FIRES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19065, 10 January 1924, Page 9

FIRES.

VALUABLE BUSH DESTEOYED. ANXIOUS TIME FOR SETTLERS. (Pee United Brings Association.) ASHBURTON. January 9. A fir© started on Monday afternoon in the coalhouse of Richard Brothers’ Mount Hutt homestead, and spread to the wood shed, destroying a considerable quantity of and scorching the main residence. Meanwhile, informed by telephone, 40 settlers were rushed to the scene by motor and otherwise, and the fire was suppressed. Returning home, the settlers assisted to save Captain Lowin’ s property on the Alford Forest road, which a bush fire had been threatening all day. They cleared a safety zone round the residence on a front of 60 acres. Captain Irwin’s bush was destroyed. OUTBREAK IN A MOTOR GARAGE. GOOD WORK BY BRIGADE. (Pee United Beess Association.) MASTERTON, January 9 The prompt action of the fir© brigade saved the certain loss of tb© contents of Wilton and Co.’s central garage, where a fire occurred to-night. The proprietor and a client were drawing the contents of a tank of a Maxwell car valued at £4OO when the gasoline burst into flames and ouicfclv spread to a Wolseiey car nearby valued at £6OO, and a heavily-laden workbench. The place resembled a blazing furnace when the brigade arrived. A liberal pressure of 'water soon had the fire under control. The former car, which was the property of the garage, was badly damaged, while the latter car, owned by a client, escaped with a damaged hood and upholstery. Neither car was insured, hut the garage and its contents were well covered. OUTBREAK IN TANNERY. GOOD SAVE BY BRIGADES (Peb United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 9, A serious fire occurred at the Woolston tanneries at 5 o’clock to-night. As the emnloyees were leaving the works fire broke out in the centre of the building in the suede shop, and the flames, fanned by a strong wind, soon obtained a good hold. The fire brigades, however, confined the outbreak to the suede department, the engine house, and the store, which is only a small portion of the total works. The damage is estimated at £33,500. The insurances on the whole works total £165,375, all in the London and Lancashire Office. HAWMILLING PLANT BURNT. TIMARU, January 9. A fire totally destroyed a sawmilling plant, valued at £7OO. at Raindiff Bush, the property of Mr _E. M. Tozer, who was uninsured. The origin of the fire ia unknown. The staff was absent at the time of the outbreak. KAKA POINT BLAZE. Considerable alarm was engendered amongst, the visitors at Kska Point on Tuesday afternoon, about 2 o’clock, when it was . discovered that * portion of the bush was on fire, me majority of the occupants of the cottages wer© women and children, but there were several men about, and these, working with a number of the beach, residents, formed a fighting squad that averted the danger. The locality of the lire was in the bush, behind the terraces overlooking Wilshor Beach, and a little further south than the spot whore a similar outbreak occurred two years ago. The cottages seriously menaced by the fire were those of Messrs W. Burn, P. Soilness, E. Middlemass, and one or two others. At one stage Mr Burn’s place was discovered to be on fire underneath, the piles having caught through contact with a burning brand from a tree. This was quickly extinguished, and the fight against the fire was continued throughout the afternoon. Wet bags were mostly used to beat down the flames, and m places where large trees had caught fir© these were chopped down. A high wind with the force of a gale had also to be contended with, and the dense smoke from the burning bush proved very trying to the eyes of the men engaged in keeping the fire back. By 6 o’clock all danger seemed past, but a watch was kept and several more trees chopped down, until a halt was called at 11p.m. Yesterday morning there seemed little danger of the fire breaking out again, and the wind had fallen considerably. It is stated that the cause of the fire was an act of gross carelessness on the part of some campers, who had gone away and left a fire burning. GRASS FIREAtTWAVERLEY. A serious grass fire at Waverley, on the Portobeilo load, on Tuesday morning, threatened the Roman Catholic Orphanage and the ‘ dwellings of several residents. The South Dunedin division of the City Fire Brigade was summoned at 10 minutes past 11. When the firemen arrived they found that the blaze covered an area of some acres. The grass was very dry, and over a foot in. height. The matron of the orphanage, three female residents, the gardener, and about 39 boys and girls from the home were trying desperately to beat out the flames, which crept nearer and nearer along a wide front towards the orphanage boundary. The firemen quickly took charge, and worked the fire in sections, extinguishing it with canvas beaters. Willing help was lent by the children, and after abc/ut an hour’s, work the Mazo was beaten out just as it reached the orphanage boundary. The fire was confined to the grass, and no other damage was done. It originated at the road line. ANOTHER GRASS FIRE. A fire among grass and fencing on the railway embankment at Kensington called the brigade out at 5.46 p.m. yesterday, but the damage was negligible. HEDGE IN FLAMES.' A hedge at the Botanical Gardens caught fire yesterday afternoon. The brigade was summoned at 4.19 p.m., and extinguished the outbreak before much damage was done. STABLE GUTTED. A stable in Leven street, Roslyn, was practically destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon. The brigade was called out at 2.22 p.m., but by the time it arrived at the tiro the hold of the flames was too strong. The building, which was a two-storey wooden one, was owned by Mr Nieolson, and was not insured.