DAMAGE BY FIRE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 114, 11 February 1928, Page 5

DAMAGE BY FIRE

LARGE AREA SWEPT AT HAMILTON. BY Telegraph.—Press Association. Hamilton, February 10. A disastrous fire swept a large area on the slopes of the Te Arolia mountain last night, and for hours anxiety was felt for" the safety of the outskirts of the town. ■ One hundred acres of scrub and picturesque bush have been destroyed, and even at 10-p.m., when the risk to the town seemed to be over, there was a well of flame over a mile long making its way up the gully near the Bald Spur. The water reservoir on the hill was endangered, and the fears of the. residents were aggravated by the failure of the electric light. The danger, so far as the town is concerned, vanished when the wind dropped. The fire originated in a Ruakaka suburb, where blackberry was being burned off. GORSE FIRE. Victoria Road was the scene of a gprse fire shortly before 6 o'clock last night. Before it was quelled by the Fire Brigade it swept some two acres of vacant land owned by the City Council. FIRE ON MOUNT VICTORIA. Originating near Palliser Road, Roseneath, a fire swept through about two acres of gorse and broom on vacant land owned by the Hataitai Land Company, shortly after midday yesterday The Fire Brigade quickly suppressed the outbreak/but not before a large area of the hillside had been burnt clear. LARGE HOUSE BURNED. BY Telegraph.—press Association. Dargaville. February 9. Fire at Naumai this morning totally destroyed a large house with its contents, owned and occupied by Mr. Henry,Miller and family. Mrs. Miller was absent at the time of the outbreak, but the other members were at home, and saved very little of their belongings. The insurance is not available. INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED. BY Telegraph.—Press association. Blenheim, February 10. A fire destroyed three valuable stacks of hay on Mr. F. E. Fairweather’s Homelands property, Burleigh. The circuinstances arc most suspicious, and it is considered that the fire had an incendiary origin. Mr. Fairweather arrived homo at 11 p.m., and there was then no sign of tho fire, but fifteen minutes later three stacks simultaneously broke into flames, while there was also an Outbreak in a hedge about 150 yards distant. The night, was calm, and there was no possibility of the fire having fteen spread by wind, while the stavks had been Laid down since December 23,

so that there is no possibility of an outbreak having been caused by spontaneous combustion. The stacks contalnea about 50 tons of prime rye grass, white clover, and lucerne hay, and were worth about £250. They represent the whole of Mr. Fairweather’s winter feed. The police have been asked to investigate the matter.

The need for protection against fire loss is obvious. Consult the Mercantile and General Insurance Company Ltd., Panama Street, Wellington.— Advt.