FIRES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17246, 12 January 1924, Page 8

FIRES.

BAKERY DESTROYED AT OXFORD. A baker's shop, dwelling and bakehouse occupied by Mr George Starkey rrerc destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon. The fire broke out in the bakehouse at about 4.30 while Mr Starkey was having tea. A passer-by gave the alarm, and a crowd of people quickly gathered, and had there been water available probably the bake-jiouse. and certainly the dwelline and shop could havo been saved. The furniture and store goods were all saved. Fortunately there was very little wind at the time, otherwise the town hall would have been in danger. As it was. it had a narrow escape owing to the rapfd spread of the fire in the direction of the building through the dry grass. The destroyed buildings were the property of Mrs F. Waterman, and were insured in the Victoria office, and the contents with the South British Company. MANURE WORKS DESTROYED. Per. Pxr.ss Association. LEVIN, January 11. A serious fire occurred just before midnight by which the manure works, owned by Mr J. M. Milne, at Poroutawhao, were completely destroyed. No work has been carried on for several days at the works, and the fire was discovered hv the caretaker. Owing to the restricted water supply little could be dono to combat the flames. The insurances were £4OOO in the Alliance office. The estimated value of the works and T>lant is between £7OOO and £BOOO. j PLANTATION ABLAZE AT | - HINDS. Another plantation fire started at Hinds at about 2 p.m. on Thursday (writes the “Lyttelton Times' 1 correspondent). Sparks from a. railway engine are alleged by onlookers to have been the cause. The blase was noticed among the small undergrowth in the railway plantation about 200 yards from the Hinds station. A gorse hedge nearby took fire also, and burned fiercely, threatening the house of Mr G. Berry, which was on the leeward side of the blaze. \ About a dozen helpers hurried to the scene, but in spite of their battling, a strip of plantation about 100 yards in length and a chain or more in depth was run through by the lire. The trees were charred about the base, but the branches did not catch alight. The gorse fence took a I lot of handling, and even when it was 1 thought the fire had been extinguishi ed the flames sprang up again some j time afterwards, and the second out- • break appeared to be worse than the | first. Hard and diligent work on the ■ part of the fire-fighting gang, how- : ever, eventually quelled what was at i several points in the struggle a very * dangerous outbreak.