FIRES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20086, 30 April 1927, Page 11

FIRES.

BURNED TO THE GROUND. 3TOUR SHOPS DESTROYED, OWNSSEJS* HEAVY LOSSES. IT' i {Wpwttat. to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, April 29. Pour shops were burned to tho ground at Henderson about 3 o'clock this morning. Nothing was saved, and tho damage is estimated at £4500. All that is left of a block of four shops that was built about 18 months ago by Mr Ozicli, land agent, is the shell of the concrete building. The contents this morning were a mass of smouldering debris. Tho shops destroyed were those of W. Constable, bootmaker; L Scott, chemist; and W. Higgins, who was the owner of a hairdresser’s shop and billiard saloon. The Henderson branch of tho Bank of Now Zealand was also destroyed. Cleaners working in the railway yard opposite were htefirst to see the fire. The individual losses are heavy. The owner of the block estimates his loss at £ISOO. Mr Scott, the chemist, who took into stock a number of new cameras last night, says his loss is about £6OO, but ho was insured for £3OO. The hairdresser and billiard parlour owner has not estimated his loss. Four billiard tables and all the accessories were destroyed.

A GARAGE FIRE, .j' FIVE VEHICLES LOST. (Peh United Phess Association.) TE KUITI, April 29. At 1.20 this morning a wood and iroit building owned by Mr Magon, a service car proprietor, which contained four Cadillac cars and one. Commer bus, was completely destroyed by fire, with all tho contents. The cars and bus were owned by Mr Magon, and the lorry by Q. H. Oliver. No water supply was available, and the brigade was powerless. The building and cars were insured in the Phoenix Office, the former for £3OO. Th# origin of the fire Is unknown.

A BUNGALOW BURNED. INADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY. (Special to Daili Timm.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 20. A seven-roomed bungalow situated in Weka street, Fendalton, was gutted by fire at 6.30 a.m. to-day. The fire started on the south-west side, and, fanned by a howling gale, spread rapidly over the building, its terrific heat devouring the wooden walls as though they were matchwood. In a few minutes the whole structure became a mass of flame. Although the brigade made desperate efforts to cope with the blaze the task o£ saving the building was a hopeless one. Water had to be pumped from a creek some distance away. After a vain struggle to master the flames the men were forced to concentrate on preventing the fire spreading to the adjoining properties. The building -was unoccupied, but the tenants were to move in thi* morning. It was the property of Mr N. P. Digby. The insurance on the building was £I7OO in the London and Manchester office. A LOCAL CALL. A call was received by the South Dunedin Fire Brigade at 9 o'clock last night to Ferguson street, Caversham, where a motor car owned by the Otago and SouthLand Finance Company had caught fire. The outbreak was extinguished before any serious damage had been done.