A GOOD " SAVE.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16523, 6 September 1921, Page 4

A GOOD " SAVE.”

FIRE BRIGADE'S EFFORTS. Tbe work of the City Fir© Brigade in regard to a recent fir© in tbe Riccarton. borough was recognised at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council. The Mayor (Mr A. D. Ford) said that in view of tho discussions which had taken place, regarding the fir© at St James's Church, which was the first fir© in th© borough after the agreement j had been made with tbe .Christchurch Fir© Board, be had asked the town clerk to make a report on flic second fire. The toun clerk reported that on Friday, August 26. at 1.57 a.m., a firo occurred in the southern part of the borough. A shop and dwelling owned by Afr AY. J. Edwards, and occupied by Airs G. W. White, was the scene of the conflagration. Upon being informed of the occurrence ho inspected the property and interviewed the occupiers and neighbours. All were unanimous in eulogising th© promptitude of the fire brigade, and the marvellous “save” -which it made. The building was a very old wooden one. which it would have seemed impossible to save any portion of, hut the. brigade arrived upon tho scene within a few' minutes of th© alarm .being given. and the fir© was confined to tbe interior of the building. .Mrs "White, tbe occupier, informed him that practically the whole of the inside Mas a mass of • flame when they were awakened and were compelled to jump out through the bedroom window to save themselves. Had it not been for th© wonderful work of tire brigade not only this, but the adjoining shops, would most certainly have been destroyed, th© next shop (which is also an old wooden one) being divided from the burning building by about ten feet only. “ Tbe council’s fire protection scheme has more than proved its worth in this on© instance alone,” added th© report. ‘‘Whereas three months ago all the premises in the vicinity would probably have been burned to the ground without the brigade liftiug a hand to save them, now. under the firo protection scheme thousands of pounds worth of property has been saved. That this is recognised is shown by the many expressions of appreciation which bar© been received from the. locality concerned.” The report was adopted. Tt was also resolved that a letter of thanks and appreciation be sent to tbe City Fir© Brigade for th© very prompt manner in which they got on the scene, and for the cood “ save ” they made.