OUTBREAK OF FIRE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1785, 3 November 1919, Page 8

OUTBREAK OF FIRE.

TEAMWAY OFFICES DAMAOED. When the watchman on duty at the Christchurch Tramway Board's building in Falsgrave Street was going his rounds at 1.30 o'clock this morning, he discovered that an outbreak of fire had occurred near an electric heater in the engineer's office. The fire had worked its way along the skirting into the records room next door. The alarm given, the. board's fire hose and extinguishers were brought into use and the Fire Brigade arrived in time to complete the work of extinguishing the flames with chemicals. No idea can be gained as to the cause of the outbreak. A theory that an electric heater caused the mischief is discounted by reason of the fact that the nightwatchman states that when he passed through the building at 11.130 o'clock last evening he did not notice that the heater was lighted, whilst it has been ascertained that the current was turned off. The material damage to the building is not great. The wall of the engineer's office was charred to the flooring and the decks in the room suffered from the heat. Water appeared to have caused the greatest damage, piles ot sodden documents and papers strewing the floor. However, most of them consisted of duplicate files and stationery so here again the damage is limited. The buildings and contents are covered by insurances in the Now Zealand, Alliance, Standard and State offices.