THREATENED BY FIRE

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 740, 19 April 1933, Page 12

THREATENED BY FIRE

Buildings, Plant and Timber i in Danger. MIDNIGHT BLAZE. Thousands of pounds’ worth oil timber, buildings and plant were threatened last evening by a fire at the Fapanui Timber Company's yards on the corner cf Frank Street and Papanui Road, where smouldering embers in the furnace burst into fiame shortly alter hali’-past eleven Prompt notification of the fire by a neighbour and the quick arrival of the fire brigade enabled the outbreak to be extinguished before it ignited the timber stacked a lew feet away, and the damage done was slight. The furnace stands twenty yards away from the saw mill, shavings being winnowed over to the fire through a long lunnei. It is the practice to extinguish the furnace when work finishes for the day at 5 p.m., and the fire was put out last night as usual. However, some sparks must have remained J alight to set the remaining rubbish burning again When the alarm was given the flames were belching from the top of the chimney. Two fire engines were quickly on the scene, and the blaze was extinguished. In the immediate vicinity of the furnace was a large stack of drying timber and a shed containing a lorry valued at about £SOO.