FIRES.

Otago Witness, Issue 4006, 23 December 1930, Page 36

FIRES.

SEVERAL CARS DESTROYED. NAPIER, December 16. A disastrous fire in which it is believed six or eight cars were destroyed occurred at Waipukurau this evening at the garage of Mason and Paton, an old one-storeyed building. The brigade was quickly on the scene, but the task was practically hopeless from the start. A few cars were .saved, including a big service car. Mr Paton was engaged examining a car with an inspection lamp when the wires fused and ignited some benzine. -The flames spread so quickly that Mr Paton and Mr W. B. Blackburn, who was in the garage with him, had to run fcr safety. The insurances were not available, but it is understood that Mason and Paton were heavy losers. Another heavy loser is Mr R. Mason, who lived on the premises. Very little of his furniture was saved.

BLAZE IN BOARDING HOUSE. PALMERSTON N., December 17 Fire caused extensive damage to a large two-storeyed wooden boarding house in Main street east yesterday afternoon. The top portion * suffered most, practically nothing being saved, and the effects belonging to 10 boarders were lost. One of the occupants (Mrs W. Bridges) had a narrow escape. When the alarm was first given she made for a room upstairs in order to recover valuable papers belonging to her husband, but before she could escape the flames cut off her retreat. She battled through the blinding smoke to the window, where she fainted. She was seen by the employees in a plumber’s shop close by, and they rescued her, little the worse for her experience. The contents of the building were insured for £250 and the building for £1255. LIME WORKS DESTROYED. NAPIER, December 17. A disastrous fire at Amner’s lime works early this morning totally destroyed the building, machinery, and contents. The flames were fanned by a strong wind, and the brigade’s task was hopeless from the start. A change in the direction of the wind, which was

at gale force, saved the adjoining hout.es from destruction. The fire is belie\ed to have been caused by internal 'ombustion. The insurance is in the New Zealand Office for £7OOO.

BLAZE AT NEWMARKET. AUCKLAND, December IS. Damage estimated at over £20,000 was caused by a fire which swept through a block of business premises at Broadway, Newmarket, early this morning. The premises destroyed were those of Messrs Hutchinson Bros., Ltd., provision merchants; Messrs J. Stormont and Sons, bakers! Mr H. B. Bull, ironmonger; Mrs Rennie, ladies’ outfitter; Messrs David Teed, Ltd., chemists and opticians; Miss Groves, dressmaker and hemstitcher; Mr P. Beckerleg, solicitor; and Dr Frazerhurst’s consulting rooms. The insurances held by Messrs Hutchinson Bros. were: —Buildings £5OOO, stock £5600, fittings, fixtures, and plant, £2400. The estimated value of the stock is £B5OO. The present value of the buildings is £7500 and of the fixtures £3500. The Central Chambers, containing Messrs Teed and Bulls and Mrs Rennie’s shops, and the offices occupied by Miss Groves, Mr Beckerleg, and Dr Frazerhurst, were insured in the Ocean office for. £3285. They were the property of Messrs Teed and Bull, the former being deceased, and his interest being in a trust estate. It is estimated that the replacement value of the building is £12,000. Mr Bull’s stock, which was valued at £3500, had an Ocean policy of £2500. Mrs- Rennie valued her stock at £650. It was covered by a policy of £325 in the Guardian office. Messrs Teed’s premises contained stock and plant to the value of £4OOO, including a new optician’s plant recently imported to the value of £lOOO. It is covered by an insurance of £2700 in the Ocean office. Miss Grove was covered by an insurance of £l2O.