FIRE AT A. AND T. BURT’S

Evening Star, Issue 20133, 25 March 1929, Page 16

FIRE AT A. AND T. BURT’S

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE [Per United Pres* Association.] CHRISTCHUIICH. March 2:3. A tremendous doud of smoke rose from the premises of Messrs A. and I. hurt, 140 Tuam street, shortly aUer 1 o'clock this afternoon. By 1-25 the llnmes had hurst through the right-hand portion of the building, and were blazing through the windows and rool. The fire brigade received the call at 1.0. j, and was at the fire within a few minutes. Entrance was gained and leads of hose were played on to the blaze, both from the rear and trout of (he building. The roof was torn up hv the firemen, and leads oi hose were played down on the tire. The brigade had the blaze well under control a very short time after its arrival. The fire started in a small compart ment on the ground floor dose to the office and near a part of the building on (lie Tnam street frontage. A quanlilv of electrical appliances was packed there, but there was no straw" and apparently no inflammable material. Jhe lire caught the walls ami evidentK .spread . rapidly into the upper story, where it went the whole length nl the building. The origin of the fire is not known" It did not spread very lar on the ground floor, the .storeroom, m which there are large stores, escaping. Some of the building at "the back is da mimed, the walls there being severely burnt" and dinrml. The damage l.y fire and water to the building and slock is severe, both on the upper story aid on the ground floor. _ On account ol Llie nature of the equipment it, is not possible accurately to estimate the damage until a t borough inspection of the damaged sleek has been made. The contents and the budding are insured in the, National Office, but be amounts are not yet available. Ihe building is about lorty years old.