FIRE AT PARAWAI.

Thames Star, Volume XXV, Issue 4669, 24 February 1894, Page 2

FIRE AT PARAWAI.

' The four-roomed cottage of Mr Alfred Mayo, at Parawai, had a narrow escape from destruction by fire last evening. It appears that about 5 o'clock Mrs Mayo left the house for the purpose of going a short walk with the children, leaving a fire ia the kitchen grate and some clothes standing on a chair in front of the fireplace. Upon returning a few minutes afterwards she found the kitchen full of smoke, and saw flames in the vicinity of the mantelpiece, and at once closed the door again, and sent a lad named Alex. Gurrie for Mr Mayo, who was about half-a-mile away. Upon opening the kitchen door Mr Mayo found that it was almost impossible to enter owing to the denseness of the smoke, but eventually he succeeded in dashing a few buckets of water upon the fire, which waa then coming through, the shingles near the chimney, and subsequently extinguished it with the assistance of Mrs Currie and her son, to whom Mr Mayo desires to express his heartfelt thanks. Had it not been for the presence of mind displayed by Mrs Mayo in closing the three doors immediately she discovered the fire, and thus preventing the draught from fanning the flames, it is probable that the whole place would have been destroyed. There is no doubt that the fire occurred owing to a spark igniting the clothes in front of the fire. The house was insured for £100 in the North British and Mercantile Office, but there was no insurance upon the furniture. The damage will amount to about £20.