Fierce blaze destroys house

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 5, 3 July 1984, Page 1

Fierce blaze destroys house

Last Monday evening a house (pictured) in Tainui Street, Ohakune, was destroyed in a short-lived but fierce blaze. The Callaghan home was "virtually a total loss," said Ohakune fire chief Max Martin. "It was the worst loss we've had in the last 6-7 years," he said. The Callaghan family lost all their possessions ... they escaped into the cold winter evening only in the clothes they were wearing. The interior of the house was completely gutted when a bar heater in the lounge ignited flammable material while the family were preparing tea in the kitchen. Mr Mike Callaghan was unable to get to the telephone in the lounge to dial 1 1 1 but the alarm was raised by Mr Lawton who lives across the road. The emergency call was received (via Wanganui) at the Ohakune Fire Station at 1.7.37 (5.37pm) and the brigade reached the house in

Tainui Street three minutes laterat 17.40. Both appliances attended and had brought the fire under control by 1 7.48 but it wasn't until after 10pm that the brigade could leave the smouldering ruin of what

had a few hours earlier been a family home. The new emergency dial 1 1 1 service which has been routed through Wanganui since the Ohakune telephone exchange went automatic in April worked satifactorily

on this occasion ... "the oneminute delay between the alarm being raised at the local exchange and the Wanganui Exchange calling the Ohakune Fire Station is within acceptable limits," said fire chief Max Martin.