DWELLING DESTROYED.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4792, 22 December 1924, Page 2

DWELLING DESTROYED.

GUTTED BY FIRE. WATER PRESSURE INADEQUATE. Shortly after one o’clock on Saturday morning the six-roomed residence of Mr C. McNamara in Station Road, Paeroa. was completely destroyed bv fire. The origin of the outbreak is a mystery. It appears that Mr McNamara, who had been baching, returned from his work on Friday evening and lighted a smali fire in the kitchen range. He retired to bed at about 10.30, when everything appeared to be safe. He was awakened about 1 a.m, on Saturday by something falling, and found the house full of smoke and the kitchen and back rooms ablaze. He hastily dressed in a few garments and escaped through the bedroom window. The fire alarm was sounded by a neighbour and the brigade under Captain W. Moore was quickly on the scene and had a length of hose coupled up in a short time. It looked as if the brigade at that stage had a reasonable chance of saving the front portion of the residence, but owing to the. small water-main in that locality there was insufficient pressure to fill the hose, and the efforts of the brigade were fruitless, as nothing more than a mere trickle of water could be obtained. binding that there was no possible hope of saving the residence, the brigade concentrated its efforts on saving a shed adjacent to the house. The insurancs are believed to be £5OO on the house and £l5O on the furniture, both risks being held by the Alliance office. There is also an additional £5O on the furniture in the Phoenix office on account of the Repatriation Department. Mr McNamara is a heavy loser, as practically nothing was saved.