BIG NAPIER BLAZE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 123, 22 February 1928, Page 6

BIG NAPIER BLAZE

FURNITURE FACTORY DEMOLISHED By Telegraph.—Press association. Napier, February 21. A fire, which claimed the attention of two brigades this afternoon, completely demolished a two : story furniture factory in Kennedy Road, besides doing considerable damage to valuable timber stacked near by and endangering several adjacent houses as ■ well as a smaller building. The factory was occupied by Allan and Harris, furniture manufacturers, and contained a considerable amount of machinery, furniture in various stages of completion, and commodities used in the trade. Holder Bros., owners of the building, used one room, but they had much timber stacked in the vicinity. > The outbreak had its origin in the overturning of a small stove being used by one of the employees in a room stocked with inflammable materials. The flames spread with alarming rapidity, and by the time the brigade arrived had a complete hold on the whole of the building. The task of subduing the flames was quite a hopeless one, so the firemen turned their attention to ensuring the safety of several houses in the immediate vicinity. This was effected after a hard fight, but not before one or two of the houses had been scorched considerably. Left with a free hand, the flames, aided by a strong breeze, first consumed the interior of the building, and' then attacked the outer walls and upper structure. Inflammable materials such. as turpentine, oils of all descriptions, kerosene, and polish supplied excellent fuel for a conflagration, and within an hour nothing was left of the wooden structure beyon a smouldering heap of ruins. The flames enveloped the timber stacked round the factory, and almost completely destroyed it. Insurances on Allan and Harris’s stock was about £2OOO, £l3OO of which was covered in the Sun office and £7OO for the timber in the New Zealand office. However, it is estimated that these figures hardly cover the actual damage. Insurances on the building are not ascertainable.