WOOL STORE FIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26918, 2 November 1948, Page 6

WOOL STORE FIRE

INQUIRY HANDED TO POLICE BRIGADE SUPERINTENDENT NOT SATISFIED PA WELLINGTON, Nov. 1. Investigations into the fire in Levin s wool store on Saturday night have been handed over to the police, Superintendent Woolley, of the Wellington Fire Brigade, stated to-day. They will make a full inquiry into the fire and one or two other things, he said. “ The cause of the fire has not been ascertained. It developed in an inexplicable manner. .1 have been u £ Kaiwarra this morning, and ! have come to some conclusions which I will be presenting in my report to the rire Board.” Superintendent Woolley added that the automatic alarm installed in the building was. set to go off at 150 deg Fahrenheit, a temperature generated by only a small fire, yet when the first machine arrived at the fire only four minutes later the outbreak had reached a brigade call condition. Superintendent J. Dempsey, officer in charge of the Wellington police, said that the collecting yesterday by detectives of certain charred and ottyer debris was a precautionary measure in case an inquiry was instituted. This was usually done in the case of a large fire. The 2500 bales of wool destroyed were insured for. their full value of approximately £IOO,OOO and the ouilding for £40,000. Almost all the wool was now season’s clip recently brought into the store. Being fully insured, the growers concerned would get full value fen: the wool, it? was stated to-day. It was not thought that anything would be salvaged, said the managing director of Levin and Co., Mr John Duncan, to-day. He added that the major loss was in the wool, although there were a few hides and skins in the building. As yet the office safes had been too hot to open, but he hoped that the records inside would be intact. Many of the records were duplicated in the head office, so that their loss would not be a great handicap. The firm had two other stores in Wellington, but as a result of the fire no slipe wool could be handled, as the equipment to dump the bales had been destroyed. The whole building would have to be. demolished, added Mr Duncan, stating that his firm greatly appreciated the offers of assistance from all other stock and station agents. The wool store was first built in 1913.