Fire Damages Workshop

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30983, 12 February 1966, Page 1

Fire Damages Workshop

Fire last evening severely damaged the office and workshop of Somerset Motors, used car dealers, at 272 Cashel street.

The partners in the business, Messrs V. Brown and W. Kane, locked the premises at 8.50 p.m. A passer-by gave •the alarm at 9.10 p.m. and when the firemen arrived within two minutes, the interior of the two-storey wood and stucco building was ablaze.

Firemen had some difficulty in getting at the seat of the fire. They broke open the front and back doors, and got a third hose in an upstairs window on the east side of the building. They had the fire under control within 20 minutes of arrival.

The partners said that more than £lOOO worth of equipment and tools were in the building, formerly known as Kew Cottage. The building was severely damaged structurally in the inside. The corrugated iron roof contained the flames, but old shingle under the iron

blazed. The back of a car in the lean-to garage at the back of the building was burned out. Cars parked in front of the building were not damaged. The fire attracted about 200 spectators and traffic was diverted. The partners said they would not be able to estimate the damage until they had inspected the property in daylight. The building and contents are insured.