Prompt Action Averts Major City Outbreak

Chronicle (Levin), 31 January 1948, Page 4

Prompt Action Averts Major City Outbreak

Prompt aPfion by a millc vejidor in glving the alarm and immediate reaponse by the Palmerston Nortli Jfiro Brigade averted a seriops onf^reak ot %e in Messrs Cqllinson and Bon 's bulk sforeroQm in King Street, Palmo'rston 1 Nortli, at 5 a.m. yesterday. At one stage fears were entertaiped for ■ the safety of the whole building and liremen stood by at the» Broadway, frontage of the large hardware store with hose at the ready,. bnt -thiek - concrete walls and lire-proof doors' were partly , respqnsihle for the outbreak being conflned to the storeroom. , Iverosene and turpentine in 44 gallon drums, stored in tfie ro,om in which tne ijre had broken out, accentpated the danger, but the fire- brigade in 20 mmutes had a^ertrd.fhq pqssibility ,of those going up in flanies. Much difficulty was eneoi\ntered qy the firemen in gaining a.ccess to the i flre, beeause of tjie double-lqekod, burglar-proof door on the King Street .qecess. The locks had to .he ent thyo.ugn before entry was gaiqed, .... I The eontents of the store were mostly oases of crockery, painf, vgcu'nn\ cleanevs and otlier hardware ai'tieles of a aalvagable nature, and it was therefore not possible to estimate the extent qf the damage immediately, although it was thought to be eonsiderable. Thicfc spioke aft'eeted most of the stored merchandise, which was not tonched by the fire. Thq roof and walla were extensively burnt. The superintendent • of the Palmerston Nortli Fire Brigade (Mr. N. C, Ruiek) reported the •eause qf the flre as being the result of spontaneous eombustion among sawdust, oil, and aecumulated waste material in the store. £ There was one near victim of the lire ■ — the store cat which was rescued by the firenien mueli the wovse for smqne 0-nJ water. Brigadesmen gave it eare and atte'ntion.