FIRES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3196, 16 June 1915, Page 60

FIRES.

BLENHEIM, June 12. The Grovetown Hotel, of 16 rooms, two miles from Blenheim, was totally destroyed by fire last night, with its contents. It was owned by Mr Martin Eyan and occupied by Mr P. H. Jenkins. Insurances: On the building, £SOO, in the Standard; on the furniture and stock, £SOO, in the Northern. The loss is estimated at £SOO over insurances. FIEE AT KEW. At 3.50 on Sunday afternoon the City Fire Brigade received a call to deal with a fire that had broken out in Mr W. Taine’s residence in Royal crescent, Kew. The house is a 12-roomed two-storey one, and the flames had a fierce hold of the upper storey before the brigade arrived. Before the fire could be got under the upper portion of the house was completely destroyed, and the ground floor was badly damaged by water. All the furniture upstairs was destroyed, but most of that below was either removed to safety or protected from harm by salvage sheets. The Cavcrsham Brigade also arrived on the scene, and lent its assistance in fighting the fire. The buildwas insured in the Standard office for £IOOO, and the furniture in the New Zealand office for £4OO. , Curiously enough there was a slight outbreak of fire in the same house last Friday evening, when about £5 worth of damage was done. Yesterday afternoon Mr lame was quietly taking afternoon tea when, someone rushed in and told him that his house was burning. It Is suggested that electric wires were responsible for the outbreak, but there is nothing to prove that that is so.