FIRES.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14165, 16 August 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

FIRES.

■— -«». :— An eight-roomed house at Murchisoi:, lately owned by Mr Alex i Sutherland and recently pur- ' chased by Mr W. Hodgkinson. was completely destroyed by fire on Saii.rday morning The house had not been occupied since it changed hari-Js. Two of Mr Hodgkinson's sons had slept there, but on Friday night the}' remained at home, about half a' mile away. Daylight revealed a heap of ashes, and as far as is known no one saw the fire. The building was a specially "well-built orte, totara being exclusively used in its construction, and there was an insurance of £450 with the New Zealand Insurance Company. Mr Hodgkinson will be a very heavy loser.—Own correspondent. August, "14. The residence of the Rev. J. H. MacKenzie, in Nile street, narrowly escaped destruction by fire on Saturday afternoon. Fortunately the fire was observed in-its inoirrienh stair a. nnrl

August, "14. The residence of the Rev. J. H. MacKenzie, in Nile street, narrowly escaped destruction by fire on Saturday afternoon. Fortunately the fire was observed in its incipient stage, and the flames wer^ extinguished before much dam-age was done. The fire was caused through the flue of a, bath-heater becoming red-hob and igniting the cross beams between the ceiling of the bathroom and the roof. The 'heater had been used about 1 o'clock, and -it j was noticed then thtait it <lis not work satisfactorily. The fire had evidently smouldered from that time until about half-past 4, when smoke issuing from the roof attracted the attention-of a baker's boy, who gave-''the'alarm.-Some young people who had been playing tennis at the Presbyterian Chtirch courts and other -willing helpers. with •buckets of water got the fire vnder control, and the Fire Brigade, who promptly responded to a very brief aiarm, completed the work witk the hose. It was found that the cross booms and studs between the ceiling and the roof were very badly charred.