GRASS FIRE SPREADS TO HOUSE AT PENROSE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 256, 19 January 1928, Page 1

GRASS FIRE SPREADS TO HOUSE AT PENROSE

A TOTAL LOSS SCRUB FIRES PREVALENT The number of grass fires in the suburbs has increased alarmingly during the last few days. Last night a fire at Penrose destroyed one house and threatened three other buildings during the three hours it was raging. Hundreds of spectators from as far away as Mount Eden assembled, In cars or on foot, to watch the blaze. SHORTLY after 10 p.m. yesterlay a small gorse fire started in Panorama Road, Penrose, and, fanned by a strong south-westerly breeze, spread with lightning rapidity to the house ~>f Mr. Stephen Bercich. The building was destroyed in less than 20 minutes. Sparks flying across the road soon ignited the acres of dry gorse in several places. Long tongues of flame shot skyward bearing small blazing branches which carried the fire still further as they fell. The glare of the flames was visible for miles. Over a dozen men armed with sacks kept the fire away from the Eclipse Laundry, the rear of the building being slightly charred, in spite of their efforts. Another group concentrated its efforts on saving the house of Mr. Lyons, which the flames were threatening. The fire was beaten out about 1 a.m., before it reached a small cottage some distance from the road, and directly in the path of the flames.

Mr. Bercich was working on a night shift at the time and his wife was absent in town. Neither knew of the fire until they arrived home to find the building in ruins. Nothing was saved. The Ellerslie Fire Brigade was called out, but could do nothing, as there is no water supply close at hand. The brigade had been out earlier in the day, when a grass fire in Mania Road, Remuera, had been suppressed before any damage had been done. Later in the afternoon they had again been called out to a grass fire on the Government lands near the Penrose Railway Station. Here three wooden houses and Knight’s garage, which contained four bowsers, were threatened by the flames. The bri gade extinguished the blaze with wet sacks after three or four acres of gorse were destroyed. FOUR SMALL FIRES

About 1.30 p.m. yesterday the Avondale brigade was called out to a scrub fire in Methven Avenue. Little damage was done. In the early afternoon the Mount Roskill brigade extinguished a fire on a vacant section in Pah Road, slight damage being done to a fowlhouse on an adjoining section. Some bluegum trees were damaged when a fire broke out in George Street, Rocky Nook, a little after 4 o’clock yesterday afterr oon. several acres of gorse were des troyed by fire in Campbell’s Bay about 930 last evening. The flames spread rapidly and lit the whole sky with a lurid glare that was easily seen from the city. In about a quarter of an hour the fire burned itself out, little actual damage being done.