FIERCE FIRE IN BREWERY

Southland Times, Issue 24162, 26 June 1940, Page 6

FIERCE FIRE IN BREWERY

Damage Estimated

At £50,000

OUTBREAK CONFINED TO MALT HOUSE TOP FLOORS OF BUILDING GUTTED (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, June 25. A disastrous fire broke out soon after 5 o’clock this"' morning in the huge building in Rattray street used by the New Zealand Breweries Ltd. as a malthouse. A stiff south-west gale was blowing and the flames leapt through and along the building at great speed.

Officers and men of the brigade under Superintendent Price, working under adverse conditions and often in danger of their lives, ( succeeded after a fierce struggle of some hours in confining the conflagration to that particular building. However, there were many anxious moments as the walls collapsed inside the building. Live ashes were blown on to the adjacent structures and thick smoke from burning grain belched forth. It was only the fine work of the brigade that prevented far more serious loss. Alarm was roused among the crowd of people which had gathered by bomb--like explosions which occurred from time to time, but while some of these might have been occasioned by bursting beer barrels the most alarming were crashes caused by inside walls collapsing into the inferno. One high parapet collapsed on to the roof of the Oddfellows’ Hall next to the burning building and this threatened the spread of the fire, but this, too, was . subdued. In the earlier stages there was a grave danger of the fire spreading to Bennett’s, Scoullar and Chisholm s and other buildings in the vicinity. The firemen had considerable trouble in fighting their way through the steam and heat generated by the burning grain and they had at times to retreat before the avalanche of grain tumbling down the stairways. Fortunately, the water supply was adequate. The danger accruing from the proximity of high-voltage electric wires carrying some 6000 volts or more, was also averted by the prompt and efficient assistance of the staff of the Electric Power and Light Department of the City Corporation. . , The cause of the outbreak, which appeared to begin in the roof or upper floor at the Maclaggan street end, is not yet known. When the watchman made his rounds at 1 a.m. everything was all right. The top portion of the building is completely gutted, but the concrete partitions more or less saved the lower floors. There were large stocks of barley and malt in the buildings, some machinery and a small quantity of beer. . The fire was the most serious outbreak for many years, possibly since the Phoenix Company’s premises were destroyed with the loss of more than £14,000. So far as could be ascertained today the loss involved will amount to approximately £50,000, which . is covered by insurance. The dislocation of business is, of course, serious and about 40 maltsters will be temporarily out of employment. Other employees in the building, such as cellarmen, are carrying on with salvage work.