Hatepe Store Gutted In Early Morning Blaze

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 48, 22 June 1965, Page 1

Hatepe Store Gutted In Early

Morning Blaze

Despite a fast trip over dangerously icy roads, Taupo Fire Brigade was unable to save the Post Office store and living quarters of Mr and Mrs N. G. Christiansen at Hatepe in the earlv hours of this morning. Mr and Mrs Christiansen barely escaped with their lives in a blaze w hich destroyed everything they owned.

Because no other telephones -were available in the little settlement 16 miles from Taupo, two motorists made a wild dash to Taupo and Turangi to raise the brigades there. Turangi brigade turned out and stood to after the alarm had been passed to Taupo. Subsequently, the telephone lines were burnt through by the fire and

, Taupo brigade were unable ! to summon help. But by the time the motorjist had travelled over the | icy Earthquake Gully to Taupo and the brigade had arrived at the scene, there i was nothing left to save. j The alarm was given in ; Taupo at 3.34 a.m. By that | time the fire had been burnjing for at least three-quar-j ters of an hour.

Mr Christiansen told the Chief Fire Officer, Mr S. K. Christensen, that he and his wife had heard crackling and had barely escaped from the blazing living quarters ; with their lives. Mr Christensen was concerned that the blaze could have set fire to the trees which surrounded the store and passed on to the seven other houses in the little settlement. It would have required, 2500ft. of hose to run a lead from the Hatepe River and the brigade was carrying only 2000ft. — more than sufficient for any ordinary fire. Sincc the Turangi brigade could not be raised by fphone or radio, the State Forest Serrice at

60/8 wras asked for help. They sent a machine and } the Taupo County turned up with a water-tanker. Two petrol pumps were among the items destroyed and 1000 gallons of petrol in the tanks caused firemen some misgivings. The last Taupo firemen left the scene of the blaze at 6.50 this morning. Mr Christensen said this morning that he had not ascertalned how the fire began. He said the fact that the Turangi brigade could not be raised once the telephone wires were out was a matter of concern to him and would be to the people of Turangi and Tokaanu. The drive over icy roads through Earthquake Gully had proved very dangerous.