THE BIG FIRE

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6411, 6 November 1923, Page 8

THE BIG FIRE

IN WHITAKER STREET The disastrous fire in Whitaker street last Friday night which destroyed three shops, occupied by Mrs Pilbrow, and Messrs Halligan and Cornish, and damaged the shops of Messrs J. B. Johnson and Sons and that of Mr T. Radd, has been the chief topic of conversation ever since. There has, as may be expected, been many surmises as to its origin, but nothing very definite appears to have been established beyond that its start was either in Mrs Pilbrow’s dining rooms or Mr Halligan’s shop. When the brigade arrived both premises were in a mass of .flames. The members of the fire brigade under Mr Pilkington worked very hard indeed. They had a difficult task, and made every effort to cope with the big blaze. A more efficient method of calling the men together should be carried out. Time is a prime factor in success or failure in stopping a fire. One of several methods should be adopted to give the brigade the best opportunity possible to reach the scene of a conflagration with the utmost speed. Some firemen hold that a firebell is out of date, and contend that a syren that could be heard at least all over the borough would be more effective in rousing all the men at night or early morning. In the cases of the last two fires the men sleeping at the fire station did not hear the bell—the building is concrete and the men sleep on the ground floor. Another suggestion is an electric alarm, connected with the fire station, should be established at the fire bell, so that the person giving the alarm could ring both the firebell and the electric alarm.