FIRE IN PLANING SHEDS

Southland Times, Issue 23332, 16 October 1937, Page 6

FIRE IN PLANING SHEDS

LOSS ESTIMATED AT £20,000 RAILWAY LINES BENT AND TWISTED (United Press Association) GREYMOUTH, October 15. Damage estimated at £20,000 resulted from a fire in the planing sheds of the Lake Brunner Sawmilling Company at Ruru, on the Otira railway line, this evening. About a million feet of seasoned red pine boards, valued at £14,000, was destroyed, also plant, including three planing machines, a modem diesel engine and a building covering an acre of land. The employees and others were handicapped in fighting the flames, which rose to a great height, but eventually made a break in the timber between the drying kiln and the company’s saw mill, thus preventing the fire reaching the latter. The Midland railway passes close to the mill and the rails were bent and twisted remarkably, holding up trains for a couple of hours. The fire lasted from 4.45 p.m. until 7.30 and a fairly strong nor’-wester saw most of the damage effected in a quarter of an hour.

The origin is believed to be a blackberry fire reaching to the shavings at the western end of the building. Two railway wagons, one full of timber, standing in a siding, were also destroyed.

It is understood that the plant, building and timber were all covered by insurance but the amounts were not ascertainable tonight from the Australian Alliance Company which holds the policy. The plant, one of the largest on the West Coast, was managed by Mr A. T. Birchfield, with the head office at Wellington. Three trains were held up, also a rail-car. So intense was the heat that the railway line could not be examined for some time but a gang of men from Moana braved the great heat, expeditiously replacing the rails. Later the automatic signalling system was restored. Telephone lines also had to be replaced.