FIERCE FIRE IS MENACE TO HOSPITAL AT BOTTLE LAKE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19271, 7 January 1931, Page 13

FIERCE FIRE IS MENACE TO HOSPITAL AT BOTTLE LAKE

Violent Nor’-West Wind Carries Blaze Through Plantations And Scrub.

ROARING through pine trees and dried undergrowth, a fierce fire, which covered many acres at Burwood yesterday, menaced the Infectious Diseases Hospital and three or four farmhouses and a cottage. Plantations of trees were burned. The violent nor’-west wind added strength to the flames, and huge billows of dense smoke attracted spectators from all parts of the city.

At one stage fear was entertained for the safety of the patients of the Infectious Diseases Hospital, which for two hours was partially surrounded by fire, which had its beginning in the trees growing on the north side of the block. Fanned by a strong nor’-west wind, the fire described a semi-circular course round the hospital buildings, and at its height was a raging inferno. The patients, who numbered twentytwo comprised eighteen children and four women. They were all removed from the wards to places of safety. Fortunate Escape. The contents of the nurses’ quarters were also removed, this part of the hospital being situated close to the north-west boundary of the grounds, towards which the fire made rapid progress. Huge tongues of flame leaping angrily before the wind made short work of the trees and undergrowth oi the plantation, which burned with intense heat. The fire approached to within thirty feet of the building, but fortunately the area between the building and the edge of the plantation was free of trees and scrub, providing a break which checked the advance of the flames. Failing to cross this break the fire swept in a south-easterly direction along the boundary of the hospital grounds, and next menaced the scarlet fever ward. Here again a clearing was the saviour of the situation, although for many minutes the position was tense with fear that flames and sparks would be carried across to the building. In a small clearing in the midst of the fire was situated the smallpox ward, consisting of three galvanised iron and wooden buildings. Although the fire burned to within a few feet of the ward the buildings, except for blistering of paint on the woodwork, escaped damage. No one expected that they would survive, and it was with no little, pleasure mingled with astonishment 1 that Mr H. J. Otley, chairman of the Hospital Board, and Mr W. S. Wharton. secretary, found the ward virtually unharmed, when they made an inspection after the fire had travelled elsewhere. Firemen and Volunteers. Although outside the area of the Christchurch Fire Board the city brigade, under Deputy-Superintendent Blake, lost no time in answering a call to the hospital, and immediately went to work in a grim attempt to stem the approach of the fire. Fifty volunteers equipped with spades, shovels and green boughs joined the firemen, penetrating bravely some distance into the burning plantation in the hope of beating out the advance guard of the flames. Limited water supply handicapped the brigade in its work. Water was first of all pumped from a tank containing 2000 gallons, and then from a well. Quickly it was seen, however, that the best efforts of the brigade and the volunteer workers could not cope with the fire in the plantation and it was decided to conserve the water to meet the extremity in the event of the fire reach-

ing the hospital buildings. The chemical fire-fighting equipment of the hospital was also held in readiness. Giving up the fight after much hard work, firemen and volunteers beat a retreat, reaching the safety of the hospital grounds only a minute or so before the flames swept to the edge of the plantation. A Blackened Waste. After devastating the plantation in the vicinity of the hospital, by devouring the foliage and damaging the trunks, the fire swept seawards through the remaining portion, leaving in its wake a forest of gaunt and black tree skeletons. Then with renewed force it cut through the City Council plantation on a front four chains wide, passing beyond this into country thickly covered with scrub. Gorse, dry broom and lupin made the best of fuel, and with unchecked fury the flames penetrated northwards to Inwood Road. Flying sparks set other fires going, and within a short time a large block of country bounded by Reeves Road and Inwood Road was burning. Several small houses and sheds which were in the track of the flames escaped narrowly, clearings around these being the means of salvation. A number of haystacks caught fire and were burned, farmers losing fodder which they had stored for winter feeding of cattle. In Reeves Road, a number of electric light poles were burned at the base, and for many chains insulation was burned off the power wires. A motor-car which was left by its owner in this road was set on fire by a spark. Fortunately the outbreak was noticed early and the blaze was extinguished before any serious damage had been done to the vehicle. Blown across the road by the wind, sparks also set fire to a small patch of scrub growing beside a small farm building. One wall of the shed was damaged before the outbreak was extinguished. A Hasty Retreat. A party of men who, with Constable H. Irwin, of North Beach, were endeavouring to keep the flames away from a house in Reeves Road, were forced to make a hasty retreat. Tuning for their lives from a great burst of flame that leaped at them from nearby gorse. One farmer, Mr Mitton, was forced to leave his home with his family, his house being in the path of the fire in Reeves Road. The dwelling was not damaged, however, for a change of wind kept the outbreak from crossing the road to any great extent. The flames swept merrily along the gorse hedges at the side of Reeves Road, and farmers will suffer in consequence. For some time Reeves Road was inaccessible on account of smoke and heat, but when the flames moved on contact with Bottle Lake was renewed. Burning itself out at Reeves Road: after doing much damage to trees, fences and electric light wire insulation, the fire was still a menace to property in In wood Road. A poultry farmer, Mr Derry, whose property was in the track of the flames, removed his belongings to the house of a neighbour some distance away, getting a second load out only after an exciting race. After his trouble the wind changed slightly and carried the fire past his property at a safe distance. On the opposite side of the road a small “bach" had a miraculous escape, the fire burning round it and travelling through the short grass underneath. Another Block Burned. By this time fifty City Council employees had arrived on the scene as a fire-fighting gang, making an attempt to beat the fire out in Inwood Road Despite their efforts the flames crossed the road, igniting the scrub and dry gorse on the seaward side and sweeping through another large block of scrub country to Racecourse Road. There four small houses narrowlv escaped, fortunate changes of wind proving their salvation. At this point the country was slightly more open and men with beaters and spades working hard checked further advance of the flames for some time. Other outbreaks occurred during the night. Throughout the afternoon hundreds of people visited the fire area, the road being blocked with cars, motor-cycles and pedestrians. At times the fire treated the crowd to scenes of a spectacular nature, great tongues of flame leaping high into the air through dense masses of black smoke, which periodically blotted out the sun. From as far afield as Rangiora and Doyleston motorists journeyed to witness the fire, having observed the smoke from those districts. The fire burned continuously from 1.30 p.m. yesterday until late last night.