FIRE AT BURNSIDE

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 51

FIRE AT BURNSIDE

i DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £12,000. About half-past 12 on the night of the 13th an employee on shift at Messrs Kempthorne, Prossei", and Co.'s chemical works at Burnsido discovered that a fire had broken out in the acid-ma-king part of the establishment, which is a three-storey brick building. The manager and engineer of the works were at once aroused, and the City Fire s Brigade communicated with. Meantime' the men on shift, together with some residentsof the district, quickly got to work with the excellent fire-extinguishing plant which is installed at the works, and in a very short, time their efforts were supplemented by the arrival of Deputy-superintendent Salmond with three men from the Dunedin City Brigade. The -fire by this time had obtained a strong hold, but aided by a calm night and a good supply of water, the fire was confined to the one building—the acid works. The burning building contained a comparatively old plant and a large quantity of sulphuric acid in leaden vats, in addition to some hundreds of tons of sulphur, and other raw material. The building-was completely gutted, only the outside walls being left standing, and after an hour and a-half of strenuous fighting the men got the upper hand, and danger of the fire spreading was at an end. There now seems little doubt but the whole works would have been destroyed had the fire-fighters in their almost heroic efforts not been favoured by an entire absence of wind. The whole of the district surrounding the works was lit up by the immense' blaze, which spectacularly was a magnificent sight, the blue and yellow flames from the burning sulphur leaping into the air to the height of something approaching 100 ft. When the roof fell in a loud report was heard, which was mistaken by some of the residents for an explosion. The directors of the cqmpany were early on tho scene, and after an inspection estimated the damage at approximately £12,000. The insurances covering the part of the works destroyed amount to £IO,OOO, divided amongst various offices. The damage is" confined more particularly to portion of the aoid-making plant, but the company will be able to resume the manufacture of acid after the debris is cleared —in about a fortnight's time. The fertiliser plant and stock of manufactured fertilisers and raw materials for same, being stored in another rjart of the works, are not affected by the fire. . An additional loss, which is no doubt serious, is that a great' quantity of acid from tho adjoining chambers escaped, the leaden pipes which communicated with tho burning building having melted. It is hoped that there will be a considerable salvage of sulphur and other raw material, but this cannot bo estimated until tho refuse has cooled dewn to enable an inspection to be made. Fortunately the other portions of tho work s aro undamaged, and temporary cessation of manufacturing is confined to the acid works.