£8000 DAMAGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 20, 16 October 1937, Page 5

£8000 DAMAGE

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Sawmill Fire on West Coast heat twists train rails

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GBEYMODTH, Last Night. Damage estimated at £8000 resulted from a fire in Ihe planing sheds of the Lake Brunner Sawmilling Company at Buru on the Otira railway line this evening. About 1,000,000 feet of seasoned red pine boards, valued at £14,000, was destroyed; also plant, including three planing maehines, a modfirn Diesel engine and a building coverJng an acre of land. Empfoyees and others were handi.capped ih fighting the flames, whieh rose to a great height, but eventuall;4 made a break in the timber between the drying kiln and the company 's sawmill, thus preventing the fire Teaching the latter. The Midland railway passes close to the mill and the rails were bent aud twis.ted, holding up trains for a couple of hours. The fire lasted from 4.45 p.m. until 7.30, and a fairly .strong por'wester saw -most of the damage eifeeted in a quarter of an hour. The damage .consisted jof the planing mi'l and storage shed and 200 000 supertlcial feet of red pine timber. The total of the loss is estimated at from' $7-000 to £8000. The mill will continue to work and most of the men will be retained. Insurances are held with 9the Australian Alliance for £800 on the mill and shed £720 on the timber, £320 on the engines and £240 on the equipinent. .