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LARGE FIRES 29. Every property fire has the potentialities of major or total loss. The actual losses in any year depend in large measure on the number and severity of the fires which are not controlled. Table II gives details of the fires occurring in fire districts during 1949-50 in which the loss exceeded £5,000.

Table II— Fires with Loss Exceeding £5,000

LOSS OF LIFE IN FIRES 30. During the year fourteen deaths were recorded as resulting from fires, all of which occurred in dwellings.

9

Fire District. Day and Date. Time. Occupation of Premises in Which Fire Occurred Cause of Fire. Loss. Auckland Friday, 23/9/49 9.07 p.m. Warehouse and offices Unknown .. 69,000 » Thursday,'29/9/49 .. 7.12 p.m. General warehouse and meeting-room " 61,000 " Monday, 20/2/50 12.45 p.m. Paint-factory Ignition of bituminous fumes by naked light 46,250 Christ chair en Monday, 14/11/49 . . 3.06 a.m. Dwelling Clothes in contact with electric stove 5,060 Saturday, 31/12/49 .. 8.21 p.m. Warehouse and offices Suspected arson 29,132 I )unedin Saturday, 21/5/49 . . 7.00 a.m. Clothing - factory, printingworks, offices Probably failure to switch off electric iron 5,566 invercargill . . Friday, 20/1/50 12.40 p.m. Shops, joinery-factory, halls, and buildings (Nightcaps) Ignited by painter's blow-lamp when burning off old paint Suspected spontaneous 32,000 Monday, 23/1/50 .. 8.23 p.m. Felmongery and by-products 9.000 combustion of pie wool kelson Wednesday, 10/8/49.. 4.25 p.m. H igh school kitchen block .. Overheating fat on electric range 11,200 "Waitara Sunday, 22/1/50 10.30 p.m. Freezing-works Suspected spontaneous combustion in sorted wool 26,000 Wanganui Friday, 1/4/49 8.39 p.m. Woollen-mills Unknown 23,000 " Thursday, 10/11/49 . . 3.39 a.m. Felt-factory Ignition in preparingmachine not properly extinguished by hand 9,000 operated sprinkler " Friday, 21/12/49 5.30 a.m. Public hotel Lighted cigarette butt thrown down 6,650 "Wellington .. Friday, 8/4/49 5.46 a.m. W.A.A.F. hostel Suspected electric iron left on 9,000 „ Saturday, 11/3/50 .. 4.29 a.m. Paint and hardware store . . Unknown . . 86,655 £428,51?