FIRE AT TE KUITI

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 June 1939, Page 6

FIRE AT TE KUITI

LIME COMPANY’S BUILDING. DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT MANY THOUSANDS. (By Telegraph—Press Association. I TE KUITI, This Day. Fire completely destroyed the Te Kuiti lime company’s carbonate plant, the second’largest in the North Island, at an early hour this morning. The burnt lime kilns and plant were situated only a few yards away from the fiercely blazing building but remained intact and were in operation this morning. It is impossible to estimate the damage at present, but it will run into many thousands of pounds. No water was available and the brigade was forced to stand by and watch the building burn. The burnt lime kiln buildings was in great danger for the flames were tending in that direction, and until they were closed sparks were pouring through the open windows. The carbonate plant was capable of an output up to 150 tons per day. The origin of the fire is not known as it is understood that the power was switched off and the only fire in the building is extinguished every night. The building which was destroyed held a huge quantity of lime, and the machinery comprised three grinding mills, two generating crushers, six electric motors, a large generator and subsid iary machinery.