THE URENUI FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1922, Page 2

THE URENUI FIRE.

A NARROW ESCAPE. FROM MORE SERIOUS DAMAGE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The destruction by fire on Friday evening last (already reported in your columns) of the Urenui Hotel stables, the property of Mrs. Kennedy, and the motor lorry, belonging to Mr. J. S. Fitzgerald, though no doubt a most serious one to both owners, was a mere bagatelle to what might have happened had not the fire been fortunately discovered in time to allow the inmates of the hotel to prevent further destruction, or had a north-westerly breeze been blowing at the time of the conflagration. Had the hotel caught alight, probably the whole business portion of the town would have been demolished, as Mt. Dunbar’s premises are only soma twenty yards fl-way, and from there the fire may have extended to the school buildings, whilst the loss of life may have been appalling. By a streak of good fortune a lorry belonging to Mr. Wilson Johnson (which is usually placed in the stables, was under repairs at Mr. Rattenbury’s garage. Another loser was Mr. J. Murray, whose butcher’s dart was in the yards at the time, and was uninsured. It was rather a coincidence that Mr. Fitzgerald’s v lorry, which had only recently been re-tyred, was used for conveying the cream from- Uruti to the North Taranaki factory, through the loss of the former factory, also by fire. The daily delivery was, however, still carried out through Mr. Dunbar placing his lorry at the disposal of Mr. Fitzgerald, whilst the cans, though somewhat scorched, fitill served to hold the cream. The origin of the fire is a mystery, and too much praise cannot be given to the boarders at the hotel for the strenuous manner in which they worked to avert further disaster, their scorched hands bearing testimony to the severity of the heat. The insurance on the stables was £2OO, and on the motor lorry £5OO, though both ovners are serious losers.