FIRE DESTROYS HOUSE

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1926, Page 12

FIRE DESTROYS HOUSE

OCCUPANTS SAVE NOTHING. A new five-roomed house in Weymouth Street, New Plymouth, owned and occupied by Mr. J. S. Wilson, was badly gutted by jjre early yesterday morning. The brigade received the alarm about 5 a.m. As the water- pressure was good the ’brigade was able to extinguish the ’lire within a short time, but not before considerable damage, had been done. Awakened by the sound of falling glass, Mrs. Wilson opened her bedroom door to find the passage enveloped in (lames. Mr. Wilson succeeded in getting the two children safely out of the house, but all the contents were destroyed. Had the occupants not awakened until five minutes later the situation might well have been far more serious. Whilst the origin of the fire is unknown it is suggested that perhaps an incubator which was working near where the fire started may have been the cause. The smoke helmet recently purchased by the New Plymouth Fire Board was utilised for the first time, and proved a practical success for, by means of it, a bag containing money was rescued from the flames. The insurances were £9OO on the building in the Royal Exchange Office and £3OO on the furniture and an undamaged shed in the Ocean Office,