FIRE AT PUKE.
MR. R. STOCK’S HOUSE GUTTER.
.OCCUPANTS’ HURRIED EXIT.
The modern six-roomed house owned by Mr R. Stock, junr., situated near Hubbard’s Road at the Puke, Paeroa, was completely destroyed by fire ea,rly this morning.
It appears that Mr Stock, his wife!, and two small children retired about 9.30 o’clock last night, when everything was apparently safe. About 3 o’clock this morning’they a,woke, to find the house full of smoke and burning fiercely in the front portion. Mr Stock dashed to the telephone and rang his brother-in-law, Mr J. K. Dean, who is bn a party line, but before Mr Dean could leply Mr Stock had to relinquish his hold on the telephone, as the heat became too fierce. Mr Stock thereupon seized one child under him arm, a,nd with his other hand guided his wife, who held the second child, out df the burning building. Since the gale the house has been surrounded by storm-water, and the family had to step off the back poren and wade, through water over two feet deep for some distance before they could escape from the heat. With the assistance of Messrs Dean and Simm a,nd some Public Works labourers at the Puke, an effort was made, to salvage some things, but owing to the firm hold that the fire had by that time their efforts were fruitless, and the family escaped in their night attire only. Nothing at all was saved.
Water was lifted from the. backyard in buckets a,nd thrown on the washhouse, which wa,s thus partly saved.
Mr Stock stated this morning that he. had experienced a providential escape. As it was, his wife and children were almost overcome, with the. smoke and heat. -
The origin of the outbreak is a mystery. .
The amount of insurance on the house is not at present available, but the furniture was insured for , £2OO in the South British office.
Mr Stock is a hea,vy lose.r, especially in view of the fact that he recently purchased a considerable amount of ne.w furniture and did not increase the amount of insurance.'
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HPGAZ19260714.2.7
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Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5000, 14 July 1926, Page 2
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348FIRE AT PUKE. Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5000, 14 July 1926, Page 2
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