FIRE DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1930, Page 9

FIRE DISASTER

GREAT DAMAGE IN STATES

VERY WIDE AREA AFFECTED HUNDREDS OF HOMES BURN THOUSANDS FIGHT PLAMES By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Cc-pyrlght. Rec. 10.30 p.m. New York, May 5. Widespread portions of eastern United States are threatened by timber fires in which the damage to property is great. Farms, homes, crops and timber have been destroyed. Many persons have fled their homes to safety, while thousands of men .and boys are fighting the flames. Long Island, central New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are the districts affected. The greatest damage has been done at Nashua, New Hampshire, where a great timber fire swept through the city and destroyed 200 residences, three large industrial plants and three churches, with damage exceeding 5,000,000 dollars. It left 2000 persons homeless. The fire then crossed the river and was swept on by high winds into the timberland on the other side of the city. Three women were later reported to have been killed at Nashua, where the police state the constabulary are guarding against looting. The Red Cross is aiding the homeless. A whole section of the city is a mass of smouldering ruins.

.New York city fire apparatus was busy all day 'with an epidemic of suburban fires which did millions of dollars worth of damage, and which are still burning in several sections where communications are disrupted. More damage is feared, for as soon as the apparatus is able to reach the scene of one blaze another requests immediate help. Staten Island, New York, was the scene of numerous fires. Seventy-five bungalows were destroyed in one section, and in another 700 structures were on fire at once. Eight New York city fire companies rushed there by ferry, while fireboats aided from the water. Residents newly arrived for the summer saw all their property ruined. Especially bad fires are now reported from Lake wood. New Jersey, Amityville and Long Island.