FIRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 514, 21 December 1881, Page 2

FIRE.

A cottage on the north 1 own belt, occupied by Mr C. Bourk, runner, employed at the office of this paper, caught fire about half past three o’clock this afternoon, and a fresh north-west wind blowing at the time, it was soon beyond the power of anyone present to check the flames. The Brigade was promptly on the spot, but before this the second house was in flames, and the efforts of the Brigade were devoted to preventing the fire spreading to the third cottage, occupied by Mr George Miller. The centre cottage was unoccupied. Mrs Bourk was in her house when the fire broke out, with her infant, and was so much alarmed at the danger threatening that she ran out on to the stones before, the door, and fell down in a fainting' condition, and had -it not been for the presence of mind of a neighbor who ; ran in and snatched the child up, the littleT one would have been burned too. In consequence of there being no water, the large engine could not be got to work, but a.amall hand engine filled at a neighboring pump, did excellent service in preventing the flames spreading. The first; house (that occupied by Mr Bourk' was insured for LIOO, ■ but we were unable to learn what the other insurances were, if any, the late hour at which the fire occurred:, rendering the gathering of further particulars impossible.; A good deal of furniture was removed from the two cottages destroyed. When we went press Mrs Bourk was lying in an unconscious state at the house of a neighbor.