BLAZE IN CHRISTCHURCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22099, 1 November 1933, Page 8

BLAZE IN CHRISTCHURCH

LARGE BUILDING DESTROYED BRIGADE’S SEVERE TASK (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 31. Fire broke out late to-night in a fourstorey building in Hereford street in, the heart of the city. The building was occupied by 35 tenants, chief among them being Chandler and Co., advertising agents, and Weston Bros., leather merchants. The owners are Macgibbon’s Buildings, Ltd. The alarm was received by the brigade at 10.50 and when it arrived at the fire a few moments later the top floor of the building was ablaze, and it was at once apparent that the brigade would not be able to extinguish the flames easily or speedily. Indeed, against the efforts of the firemen the flames spread rapidly at the back of the building, and the fire soon involved all the floors and the roof fell at the front of the building. The firemen were able to keep a measure of control and the lower floors were not actually consumed. At a few minutes before midnight the fire was still burning strongly, and it seemed inevitable that the whole of the building would be destroyed, with all its contents. The building is of brick and concrete, with wooden floors. It was recently reroofed with wood and iron. It occupies the whole space between the sevenstoreyed New Zealand' Express Company’s premises and the new T. and G. Insurance Offices. At the back the building is of four storeys and at the front one section is four and the other three storeys.