FIERCE FIRE AT GISBORNE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 51, 16 March 1937, Page 4

FIERCE FIRE AT GISBORNE

>- -Presa Assoeiation.)

Stand on Old Racecourse Destroyed LARGE CR0WD GATHERS >

("Rv Telefifranh-

GISBORNE, This Day. Fire which commenced shortly before eleven last evening completely destroyed the members' stand on tho old^ Pack racecourse, now a public domain, on which the Minister of Lands recentfy xefused to sanction further race meet- ^ ings. Tha building was the prqperty of the Gisborne Racing Club, which, upon the sale of the Domain, reserved the right to remove the members' stand to the Makaraka eourse. The blaze, the origin of which is a mystery, was one of the fiercest'seen in Gisborne, and a large crowd gathered to watch the progress of the flames and the efforts of the brigade to prevent the fire spreading to the larger maia stand. The flames had a strong hold when discovered and the intense heat and , height of the building made it almost Y impossible to attack the fire. The water made little apparent impression on the main fire, the timber being as dry as tinder. The fiames leapt high into the air and tho eaclosures around the stands wero lit as bright as daylight. The heat was intense several hundred feet away, and the firemen had difficulty in getting near the flames. Fortunately there was no wind at the outset. As the fiames spread along the amembers' stand, they grew in intensity, and the whole building became m roaring inferno. The building gradnally lost its shape and bujged outwardt as the studs and interior partitions were eaten through, and the wall at the town end became detached from the others and fell outwards, three firemen having a narraw escape from what would have been certain death had the heavy blazing timbers struck ^ them. In the meantime, the wall of tho - main stand 30 feet away canght fire, but the brigade was able to save tho larger building, though not before con« siderable damage had been done, The destroyed stand was to havo oeen nsed from to-morrow as a children health camp and a meeting o£ the Health Camp committea was making final arrnagements. For some days workmen have been engaged in making the necessary alterations to the building but, fortunately, most of hto equipment had not been installed. Part of the destroyed stand had been c used as a clubhouse by the Park Golf Club but, as the season does not open till Saturday, members Had only a amaii quantity of gear in the building. The destroyed stand was insured in the United office and th© larger building in the State office.