TIMBER MILL FIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22777, 13 January 1936, Page 9

TIMBER MILL FIRE

A DESTRUCTIVE OUTBREAK DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £IO,OOO (Pes United Press Association) NAPIER, January 11. ; The most serious fire since the earth- - quake took place at 8 last night, the timber mill at Port Ahuriri belonging to Messrs Manson and Clark being extensively damaged. The loss is estimated at * £IO,OOO. The plant and a large quantity ' of dressed timber are a complete loss, as c also are a number of buildings. The fire spread over three-quarters of „' an acre, and was fought throughout the night by the Port and Napier brigades. Fortunately, there was no wind, and the flames were confined to the mill and the ' dressed timber. Other large quantities of., timber, the office, and the adjacent houses - were saved. It was late shopping night in Napier, but the glow in the sky attracted thousands. Timber-laden railway trucks were promptly pulled out of danger, and one motor truck was saved, but several others \ were lost in the fire. ■> The loss totals about £IO,OOO of which - £5600 is covered in the Guardian Assur- ' ance Office. LOCAL CALLS. At 2.1 a.m. on Saturday the South Dunedin Fire Brigade was called out to a fire which had started in a fence at Wilson avenue. Only slight damage was caused. At 3.42 p.m. and at 6.46 p.m. the City Brigade responded to calls to gorse fires in the Rattray street tram cutting above the bridge, and in Eglinton road respectively. At 2.39 p.m. yesterday the brigade was called out to the premises of Messrs W. Duke and Sons, George street, where an electric motor had caught fire as the result, it is stated, of a defect in the wiring. The damage was only slight.