CORN CRIB DESTROYED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 83, 22 June 1945, Page 5

CORN CRIB DESTROYED

WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S FIRE OWNER'S SUBSTANTIAL LOSS i . At approximately 8.30 p.m. on. m eiSflfcsffay a fire which totally destroyed a corn crib and! seriously damaged the contents which amounted to about forty tons of corn broke out on Mr A. Marsh's property on McGarvey's Road. The < crib which was in close proximity to the .bouse belonged to Mr Marsh, and was not insured. As far as can be the fire was caused by internal combustion. When the .siren sounded the Bri.9 ■ gade turned out in the usual record time and successfully fought the outbreak with a first aid hose (a 200 ft length of hose attached to a 10 gallon tank of water) and bucket pumps. It was very fortunate that the fire was in a corn crib and not in the house, itself. With the exception of the river there is no water available within fifteen hundred. feet of the building and by the time hoses were laid from the over paddocks and through etc. very little of the house would have been left. A point which was obvious on Wednesday night f arid which should j be brought to the notice of spectators was the manner in., which a stream of cars followed the fire engine down the road over the narrow track. If it had been found necessary to manoeuvre the engine at all a horde of cars would have first f had to be moved involving loss of precious end a certain amcunt of chaos. Spectators are therefore asked that when in future, they take their cars to to 'keep them -well clear of the engine. and as far back as possible from the burning building in order to give the men fighting the blaze, plenty of room in which to work. This fire demonstrated for.cibly J the Brigade's need of a trailer pump. •It would be "extremely foolhardy to place the engine in such a spot where it might become bogged as in the event of another fire occurring the Brigade, would be helpless.' .A trailer pump however, could be dc'.tached- from the engine manhandled into position and the blaze fought with no risk whatever to the main engine itself. A trailer pump woulcf appear to be not superbut an absolute, necessity to the efficient functioning of the fire fighting service.- ! . Although the corn, crib was total- "" ~ly destroyed, it is hoped that perhaps -some portion of the maize might be saved. i !