FIRES IN NAPIER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16580, 22 February 1928, Page 2

FIRES IN NAPIER

FACTORY DEMOLISHED OVERTURNED STOVE CAUSES OUTBREAK (Per Preca Association.) NAPIER, last night, A fire which claimed the attention of two brigades this afternoon completely demolished a two-storey furniture factory in Kennedy road,- besides doing considerable damage to valuable timber stacked nearby, and endangering several adjacent houses as well as a smaller building. The factory was occupied by Allan and Harris, the well-known furniture xn&nufacturers, and contained a considerable amount of machinery and furniture, in various stages of completion, and commodities used in trade. Holder Bros., owners of the building, used one room, but they had much timber stacked in the vicinity. The outbreak had its origin in the overturning of a small stove being used by 'one of the employees in a room stacked with inflammable material. The flames spread with alarming rapidity and by the time the brigade arrived had a complete hold of the whole building. The task of subduing the flames was quite a hopeless one, so the firemen 'turned their attention to ensuring the safety of several houses in the immediate vicinity. This was effected after a hard fight, but not before one or two of the houses had been scorched consider-, ably, besides suffering damage from cracked windows. Left with a free hand the flames, aided by a strong breeze, first consumed the interior and then attacked the outer walls and the upper structure. Inflammable materials such as turpentine and oils of all descriptions, kerosene and* polish supplied excellent fuel fdr the conflagration, and within an hour nothing Was left of the wooden structure beyond a smouldering heap of ruins. In spreading, the flames enveloped a timber stack round the factory, and almost completely demolished it. A rack, of timber standing between the ruined factory and a smaller building used by Holder Bros, suffered some damage, but a considerable portion of it' was saved, besides, a motor lorry parked close by. The insurances on Allan find Harris’ stock were in the neighborhood ol £2OOO, £I3OO of which was covered in the Sun office, and £7OO for timber in the New Zealand office. However, it is estimated that these figures hardly cover the actual damage. The insurances on the building are not ascertainable.

Allan and Harris have been singularly unfortunate in regard to fires, as two within the last 18 months caused damage to the factory attached to a shop in Elmerson street.

The fire brigade was again called out to-night, shortly before 10 o’clock to quell an outbreak at a residence in Brewster street. The flames were controlled before they became serious, the damage being confined to one room, which Vas gutted. v FOUR IN 13 HOURS

. NAMER, this day. . A six-roomed farm house at Meeanee, owned! and occupied by Mr. J. Dooney, a dairyman, was burned l to the ground this morning. Six occupants escaped by windows. The insurances are not known. This made Napier’s fourth fire in' 13 hours.