BIG INVERCARGILL BLAZE

Chronicle (Levin), 11 December 1947, Page 6

BIG INVERCARGILL BLAZE

INVERCARGILL, Dee. 10. One of the biggest and most spectaeular fires seen in Invercargill for many years, brolce out in the Ernpire Forwarding Compahy's building, Leven Street, shortly after 10 o'clock tonight. The flames liad a strong hold when the brigade was called and were shooting through the roof as the fire engines tore down Esk Street. Soon the whole lirst floor was a mass of flames whieh were fed by a large quantity of inflammable material includiffg drums of oil and household furmture. Ihe Invercargill office of the Bluff Harbour Board in Leven Street was destroyed and the hardware store of Fairbairn Wright Ltd. below was damaged but some oi the stock was salvaged. For over an hour the flre burned fiercely but by 11.30 p.m. the firemeil liad got the upper hand. Fortunately tliere was no wind. Six of the eompanv's trucks, some charred, were driven out while the fire raged above. The building is i.ext to the rear part of the Grand Ilotel and between them is a right of way only about 20 feet wide. The fire broke out on the lirst floor at the Leven Street end where ali sorts of goods were stored. This section of the building is joined to the Dee Street portion by a covered-in passage way but the flames were kept away from the Dee Street end in whieh there are a doetor's. surgerv, clotlaug factories, a women 's haiidressing salon, frock shop and tailor's shop. The gutted building was owned by S. McDonald Ltd., Invercargill.