'FIRE AT PORIRUA.

Otaki Mail, 20 March 1922, Page 3

'FIRE AT PORIRUA.

HALL AND STORES DESTROYED. A disastrous fire broke out at Porinia at 3.50 a.m. on Sunday. The fire started in a building occupied as a sto>re and dwelling by Mr Thomas Dick, who, with his wife and family were spending the week?encl at Tilahi Bay. When, first discovered, the flames had a strong hold, and tli»y quickly spread to tho building on either side. On one side was a building used by Mr Dick as a bakehouse and stables, wlifle on the other was a bootmaker’s shop and dwelling, occupied by Mr Hazelwood, and a hall, owned by Mrs Auehty, and used as a picture theahre.

"When tho fire was discevered, the townspeople turned oat in large numbers, and banded themselves into a selfconstituted fire brigade. Though they .worked heroically with baskets, all efforts to save the buildings already mentioned were unavailing,- and all of them were completely demolished. The fire fighters then coneeatrnted their effort's upon preventing the conflagration from ,crossing th« road to tho hotel and stables. Bucket brigades kept pouring water upon the front of the threatened buildings for upwards of an hour. "They had a most exciting and strenuous fight, and for a long time the issue was in the balanse.

The front of the hotel was badly scorehed, while the stables several times caught fire, only te be fought out again. In the end, the fire was confined to the side of the street on which it started, but had it not been for the excellent work done by the fire' fighters the hotel and stables must, too, have gone up in smoke. It was not until the hall collapsed in a shower of sparks that the defenders were able to breathe freely. The fire from the lower altitude was not nearly so difficult to combat. The fire, as already statod, started in the store occupied by Mr Disk, and no cause can be assigned for the outbreak.

The store and bakehouse were owned Mrs Benson, of Titnhi Bay, and the bootmaker’s shop by Mrs Auehty. Considerable damage was done te tils telegraph poles and wires in the vicinity, and a gang of werkmen were busily engaged upon repairing work yesterday. The only contents saved from the buildings which were _ destroyed was the picture plant used in the hall.