FIRE COMPLETELY DESTROYS LARGE OHOPE BUILDING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 87, 18 January 1950, Page 4

FIRE COMPLETELY DESTROYS LARGE OHOPE BUILDING

Within 20 milnutefc of receiving an alarm to a fire at Ohope Beach at about 2.15 p.m. on Monday the Whakatane Fire Brigade was playing water into a fiercely burning building at the rear of the Ohope Hostel. Working speedily and efficiently the brigade, with the assistance of several volunteer workers, managed to stop the outbreak from spreading to nearby buildings. Owned by Mr G. -Mahy, Ohope, the building was used by Mr J. E. Thomas, an Ohope storekeeper, as a store room, and as staff quarters and laundry -under the same roof by the Ohope Hostel. The whole building was completely destroyed. Water to quell the fire was pumped by the brigade from the nearby children’s swimming, pool and the pump was in action almost before the hose had been unrolled and the nozzle directed toward the flames. Inside the store room a large amount of inflammable material was kept, including about three tons of coal, which soon burned when reached by the flames. Yesterday there was only a burnt out shell left and part of the coal was still smouldering.

Though Mr Thomas lost a considerable quantity of stock, it was all covered by insurance.