INCIPIENT FIRES.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 222036, 13 January 1900, Page 2

INCIPIENT FIRES.

NARROW ESCAPES. AVtiat might have been a soriou3 firo occurred on Thui-sday af.ernoon at Air E. J. Linnet’s residence. Evidently a spark from tho chimney ignited the lining near the fireplace, Happily friends were near and soon had the fire under control. Thanks are due to Messrs Evans, Alackie, and McGregor, for their prompt action in the matter, which certainly saved the property. Tho premises are insured in the United office. The damage amounted to between £o and £6.

A second narrow escape from what might easily have been a disastrous fire occurred on Thursday night about 9.45, whence a large tierce full of loose straw was discovered to be on fire at tho rear of the shop occupied bv Mr John Williams. JVTr Luxford, whose attention was drawn to the blaze, at once made his way to the spot and considerably lessened tho danger by removing several empty packing cases, some of which contained straw, away from tlio burning mass. By this timo tho brightness of the glare had attracted others, and Messrs Bell (2), Luxford, Constable Wild, and Hill, forming themselves into an informal bucket-brigade, soon wore in a position to got the flames under. Had tho wind born blowing in a S.W. direction, nothing in the world could have saved Mr Gilchrist’s block and tho billiard-room, and once they had naught there is no telling where the fire would have stopped, as everything is ns dry ns tinder. No enuse can bo definitely assigned for the 'ieren catching fire, but the assumption is that a live match .or cigar end hn° been carelessly thrown out of the billiard-room, and, f illing among the loose sfriw had smouldered unnoticed till all had gone. Tho tierce was only a few yards away from the back door of the billiard-room, and as Mr Bell had turned down the lights and gone down the street it was in full blaze before any one noticed it, so that the escape was a narrow one indeed. The practice of leaving packing cases filled with loose straw, adjacent to buildings is an exceedingly foolish and dangerous ono at best, but to leave them near a billiard-room, where the chances of a live match are so numerous, is a piece of carelessness which is little short of criminal. We think it would be . in the interest of public safety if the recently appointed Fire Inspector of Inspector -of Nuisances | took a turn round the various yards, and ordered the removal of empties to j a safe distance.