SATURDAY'S BLAZE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 373, 7 November 1932, Page 3

SATURDAY'S BLAZE

FIRE DESTROYS GARAGE AND BILLIARD ROOM IMPROMPTU FIRE FIGHTING A fire broke out in the wash-house at Mr. George Shalfoon's residenee on the Woodlands- Road at 9.30 on Saturday morning, The flames spread • very rapidly and in spite of strenuous eft'orts by the neighbours, the -washhouse, billiard room and garage were eompletely destroyed. The damage is estimated at £300 to £400. The building, which is detached'from the house itself was insured with the Standard Co. for £150. Mrs. Shalfoon lit the copper fire in the wash-house as usual on Saturday morning and then went aeross to the house for a few minutes. While she was there, Miss Reo Shalfoon, aged 7, daughter of Mr. Epi Shalfoon, of Rotorua, rushed in and called to her grandmother to comes at once because the washhouse was on fire. When Mrs. Shalfoon got outside she f ound the wash-house blazing and the flames spread quickly to the garage and billiard room which were part "of the same building. Several neighbours, among whom were Messrs. A. Dodson, E. Varzey, W. Roe, Bramley and S. Burnett, rushed across and formed a bucket brigade, and drawing water from the tanks threw it on to the wall of the house in order to save it from eatching fire also. The heat was so intense that it was only by covering themselves with water-soaked blankets that the members of the bucket brigade were able to continue working. Some indication of the heat is given by the fact that all the young vegetable plants in the large garden behind the building were shrivelled up. The building itself was a total wreck and the fact that the house itself, which comprises f ourteen rooms was not also burnt, is due to- the splendid worlc done by the bucket brigade. A number of football photographs and souvenirs were lost as well as a fullsize billiard table and furniture. Mr. Shalfoon had fortunately driven the car into town that morning; had it been in the garage it must also have been lost.