FIRE AT PIRONGIA

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3190, 14 June 1932, Page 4

FIRE AT PIRONGIA

AN OLD LANDMARK. HOTEL COMPLETELY DESTROYED. One of the oldest public buildings in the Waikato. the hotel at Pirongia, was completely destroyed by fire at a late hour last night. It appears that a pesser-by some time after 11 p.m. noticed no sign of fire, but soon after 11.30 the occupants of the building were awakened and they all had to make a hurried exit as the fire had a good hold, and it was quickly apparent that no eiforts could possibly save it from total destruction. Residents of the neighbourhood were aroused by the glare, and flocked to the scene, but they could afford no help, as there is no fire fighting apparatus*—and in any case the blaze had too big a hold. Within little more than half an hour the roof had fallen in, the fire demolishing the building at a great rate. The building and stock was, we understand, owned by the Auckland firm of L. D. Nathan and Co., Ltd., and there is an insurance cover, but details are not available. Mr Allan E. Hood was the licensee, and both he and Mrs Hood, besides the staff, lost all thefr personal effects; thus they are considerable losers. The building was erected very many years ago—some say in the late sixties of last century, two or three years after the Maori war. The first licensee was Mr Finch, father of Mr George Finch, the well known Paterangi settler, and with minor alterations and additions it has stood ever since. Thus it was one of the oldest licensed houses in the Waikato. Mr Hood has been the licensee for the past ten or a dozen years.

Inquiry this morning shows that the licensee is already making arrangements to continue his license in temporary quarters near by, pending the provision o£ a new building.