FIRE AT MATAROA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19920, 16 August 1927, Page 8

FIRE AT MATAROA

DWELLING DESTROYED BYSTANDER’S PLUCKY ACT. [ Special “ Chronicle ’* Service. ] TAIHAPE, Aug. 15. A five-roomed railway house at Mataroa, occupied by Mr Alex, McKenzie, was totally destroyed by fire at an early hour on Sunday morning. Mr McKenzie, his wife and 11-year-old daughter, and a boarder, Mr Hunt, were awakened by pictures falling in the sitting-room, and barely had time to make their escape in night attire, with a few personal possessions in their hands. By this time the building was blazing fiercely. The crowd which had gathered could do nothing to save it, but were successful in preventing the flames from spreading to the adjacent railway houses, which were scorched by the intense heat. When the back portion of the dwelling was blazing fiercely and the front rooms were full of smoke, Mr C. Porter, a railway porter at Mataroa, was incorrectly informed that Mrs McKenzie’s six-year-oJd daughter was still in the house.

Mr Porter entered the burning building, crawling on. his hands and knees through a cloud of smoke in search of the missing child, only to be informed a few minutes later that a mistake had been made and that the girl for whom he was searching was in Palmerston North.

It was with the utmost difficulty that Mr Porter was able to escape through dense volumes of smoke. Tho insurances are not at present available, but Mr McKenzie, who is a ganger on the railway, is believed to be a heavy loser. He was transferred to Mataroa last January.