FIRES

Otago Witness, Issue 3399, 7 May 1919, Page 25

FIRES

AUCKLAND, April 30. A fire at Mr F. Carbine's farm at Bucklands to day destroyed three sheds containing 150 tons of hay, valued at £BOO, milking plant- valued at £250, and manure valued at £7O. It is believed that the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion. The owner is a heavy loser above the insurCHRISTCHURCH, April 29. To-night a fire was discovered in the wool department at the New Zealand Refrigerating Company's Islington freezing works. The' Christchurch Fire Brigade went but and assisted the brigade connected with the works to fight the fire, which took an hour and a-half to subdue. A large portion of the fellmongery was gutted, but fortunately this department is detached from the rest of the works. The full extent of the damage cannot be ascertained to-night. The wool-drying machines were destroyed, and some 200 bales of wool were severely damaged. The estimated damage to the building, wool, and plant will run from £12,000 to £20,000. The company will be able to make arrangements to obviate the cessation of operations. April 30. This morning representatives of the insurance companies examined the damage done by the fire at the Islington Freezing Works, with a view to assessing the amount to be paid out. The general manager states that the Refrigerating Company will be able to continue operations at the fellmongery department. It was not regarded as necessary to seek the assistance of other companies to carry on. The insurance offices interested, with the amount of their risks, are as follow:—Alliance, £30,000; Atlas, £30,000; Royal, £20,000; and British Traders, Commercial Union, Liverpool and London and Globe, London and Lancashire, New Zealand Insurance, North British, Northern Assurance, Norwich, Phoenix, Queensland, Royal Exchange, South British, Standard, Sun, Union, . Union of Canton, and Yorkshire, £IO,OOO each. CONFLAGRATION AT STRATFORD. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 6. A big fire is raging in Stratford, and already the premises of the following have been destroyed: Sheehan, tobacconist. Sladden and Palmer, civil engineers. Ford, bootmaker. Finnerty, estate agent. Richardson, grocer. W. G. Farfie, estate agent. Tyrer, solicitor. M'Cluggage and Co., estate agents. Cook, tailor. J. D. Healy, architect. On ~K.ee, grocer. Harris, fishmonger. Barker, refreshment rooms. At 1.30 a.m. the Stratford Farmers' Cooperative Stores and Foster (bootmaker's) were being attacked by the fire. The buildings aro on the railway reserve, near the railway line.