INCENDIARY FIRES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20793, 12 August 1929, Page 10

INCENDIARY FIRES.

BIG BLAZE AT OXFORD. FARMERS’ CO-OPERATIVE STORES. HEAVY LOSSES OF STOCK. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 10. The New Zealand Farmers’ /Co-opcra-tive Association’s large stores at Oxford wore destroyed by fire early this morning. It is not known how the fire originated, but incendiarism js suspected. About 4.30 o’clock Mr H. Waterman drove past the stores on his way to Dorn s bakery. He saw no signs of fire, but this is not surprising, as heavy rain was falling, and there are/no windows in the walls.

About 5 o’clock the neighbours were awakened by the explosion of cartridges in the hardwarj department. They went out to find the whole building ablaze. Many residents soon gathered near the building, but the fire had got such a good hold that nothing could be done to save anything. By knocking down part of the wall in the oil and iron shed a store at the back of the section and some shops were saved.

The building destroyed was a large one, made of wood with an iron roof. There were three departments in it—drapery, hardware and grocery, and crockery. The office at the back was destroyed. It is stated that the books and documents of the Oxford branch are in the safe. \ light south-west wind was blowing. If the wind had been from another quarter the Public Library and the Coronation Hall might have been destroyed. The stock, in the destroyed building is valued at £7OOO. The insurances arc unknown at present. i ——- WOODEN COTTAGE DESTROYED. MOTOR CAR HEARD BY NEIGHBOURS. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 10. There is little doubt that the fire which almost completely destroyed an unoccupied four-roomed wooden cottage in Estuary road, Rcdcliffs, last evening was the result of incendiarist activities. At least one slight explosion was heard by the neighbours about the time that the outbreak started. , Mrs H. Brown, who lives on th - opposite side of the street, states that she was .listening to the tireless last evening when a car stopped outside her house. The engine was left running for a few minutes, and then the car was driven away. Almost immediately after this the fire began. The house has been unoccupied for six weeks. . The owner is Mr Arthur Newbery, of Eastern terrace, Beckenham. Several people who were on the scene soon after the fire started assert that a distinct smell of kerosene was to be detected. The amount of insurance covering the cottage is understood to be in the vicinity mf £2oo. The house itself was of considerable ago, having been built at least 20 years. It was formerly a shed, and was converted into its late form by additions.