SPECTACULAR FIRE AT BELL BLOCK

Chronicle (Levin), 18 June 1947, Page 5

SPECTACULAR FIRE AT BELL BLOCK

NEW- PLYMOUTH, June 17. A speetacular fire at the R.N.Z.A.F. station at Bell Bioek destroyed part of the former W.A.A.F. quarters late tonight and gutted the remainder of the building whieh was oecupied by E.N.Z. A.E. personnel still at the station. The sole oceupant at the time of the fire, a eook, had a narrow eseape, being awakened only pist in time. The building was elose to the westward sido of the N.ew Plymouth Aero Club's hangar but a liigh wind was blowing from the west otherwise the hangar and aireraft it contaimed would have been in serious danger. The outbreak was diseovered by Mrs. Phiinbtree, wife of the New Plymouth Aero Club's instructor, AT r. C. H. Phiinbtree. >She was awakened by the eraekling of the asbestos roof in the heat of ihe fire. She woke her husband who immediately notified the New Plymouth Fire Brigade and then, with the club's ground engineer, Mr. A. Slater, he went into the burning building to rouse anv personnel and attempt to save the effects. They found the eook asleep and roused hira ii# time to eseape from the building. All the rest of the personnel numbering about twelve, were of? tlie station playing a basketbgll match.