SPECTACULAR FIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1943, Page 2

SPECTACULAR FIRE

OUTBREAK AT WELLINGTON BIG WHARF SHED GUTTED. QUANTITY OF GOODS DESTROYED (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. One of the most spectacular fires in the history of Wellington last night completely gutted Shed 33 at King’sWharf and destroyed a large quantitjjr of goods stored there. The two-storied' shed was built completely in wood and was one of the oldest on the: waterfront. The fire is believed to have been caused through a fuse mishap on an electric crane which was working in the shed. This caused jute to catch alight. The fire spread quickly in the upper story and within a short period the shed was ablaze for almost its full length of 330 feet. (. Scores of firemen from all the Wellington brigades, as well as Emergency Fire Service personnel and American marines, sailors, merchant navy men, harbour board workers, watersiders and even a few R.N.Z.A.F. men worked like Trojans for more . than two hours to bring the fire under control and salvage goods stored nearby. Nothing had been saved from j shed at a late hour last night wh^* J the fire was under control but still being fought and the shed itself is a complete loss. A ship moored on the windward side of the shed had to be moved quickly. Fortunately the night was almost flat calm. No estimate of the damage has yet been made.