SPECTACULAR FIRE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17608, 26 October 1931, Page 12

SPECTACULAR FIRE

FIREMEN WORK DESPERATELY Friday morning’s outbreak at Hastings was one of the most fierce and spectacular seen in Hastings for many years and caused a great deal of alarm in the neighborhood, which is closely built upon with dwellings. The brigade had the utmost difficulty in preventing the flames from spreading to ihe houses on either side of the garage and for mini; v minutes the

situation was extremely critical. The alarm was given at one o’clock, but by that time the fire had a firm hold on the whole building. The flames were leaping through the roof at’ several places. Four leads were run out immediately. The firemen realised that their task was of the greatest difficulty, but did not for one moment hesitate to tackle it with their usun'l courage. Man after man entered the building, which was ablaze from end to end, and attempted .to get the fire under control. The work was full of the greatest danger, explosions occurring frequently as one car after another caught fire. One of the greatest menaces was from sheets of iron which fell rod hot from the roof over the heads of the men working below. It was hoped that at least a few cars might be isolated from the general blaze and saved from destruction. The firemen worked desperately to that end. It was hopeless, however, except in one or two instances where cars were saved with only partial damage. In spite of the fact that there wero four leads of hose it took the brigade more than half an hour to get the flames under control in the front section of , the building alone, and gradually they worked back to the back section and fought the flames down little by little. It was then too late to save more than an immaterial amount of stock. The greater part of the firm’s shop equipment, which was of the most modern type, and included much expensive machinery, was destroyed. Some of the machinery was bought to replace articles lost or destroyed in the earthquake.