Fire at Riverhead.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1670, 25 June 1875, Page 2

Fire at Riverhead.

Narrow Escape .of Deacon's

Hotel

At six o'clock last evening, as the inmates of Mr Deacon's hotel were quietly engaged at tea, a blacksmith ran in announcing to Mr Deacon that the hotel was on fire. The occupants of the house rushed upstairs, and it was found that Mrs Deacon's bedroom was in a blaze. There was a general rush of the lodgers to secure their own affairs. The whole force of the hands of the house were at the buckets, and in about 20' minutes the fire was extinguished. When the rush was over, it was found on enquiry that Mrs Deacon's little girl of 4 years had gone upstairs with a naked light in her hand, and had set the place in a blaze. A few minutes longer, and this line hotel would have gone to ashes. The fire had broken through the roof, destroyed bedding and wearing apparel—the total damage being estimated at £30, insured in the Norwich Union office. The successful efforts against the fire after it had obtained such a firm hold contrast most favourably with the result under similar circumstances in Auckland.