FIRE AT KUMARA

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1928, Page 2

FIRE AT KUMARA

STATE SCHOOL DESTROYED. KUMARA, Aug. 2d. A disastrous lire resulting in the total destruction of the new State School at Kumaru occurred shortly alter four o’clock on Saturday afternoon. Unusual smoke was witnessed by a young man cycling along the Hillmans Road half a mile away, and he quickly gave the alarm. Several young ladies from the Headmaster’s residence quickly entered the building, hut coukl do nothing, as the lire hau a linn hold in the middle classroom. They immedatcly set to work to save a ]X)rtion of the hooks from the newly established Library but, unfortunately, were unable to the new Roll of Honour out of the building.

The Fire Brigade, under Captain McFarlane, were quickly on the scene, hut huge volumes of smoke were now coming through the glass partition of the corridor. There was then no hope of reaching the Roll of Honour, which was only unveiled last Any.no Day. The Fire Brigade then concentrated their efforts on saving the shelter shed close by. The light easterly blowing helped to keep the heat off the other buildings. The origin of Die fire is a complete mystery, as the school has I won locked up over a week for the holidays, and the Headmaster-has been away on holiday. It is said that no one has been in the building during the holidays.

The school was a new one having been erected about two years ago.