DESTROYED BY FIRE

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20919, 26 September 1939, Page 6

DESTROYED BY FIRE

RACECOURSE BUILDING VALUABLE HURDLES LOST Fire totally destroyed an old wooden structure at the Te Rapa racecourse in the early hours of this morning, and the Waikato Racing Club lost 30 recently renovated racing hurdles and 15 new brush fences. The building, which was behind the totalisator house, was used as a public bar on race days and as a storeroom during the remaining days of the year. Besides the hurdles and fences one and a-half tons of lime were destroyed. The fire was noticed by a transport lorry driver, who saw the flames while he was on his way to Hamilton from Auckland about 2 a.m. He immediately raised an alarm, but as the racecourse is outside the Hamilton Fire Board’s area and no water hydrants were available nothing could be done to save the building. It was fortunate that the wind was not blowing towards the totalisator house, otherwise this building also might have been destroyed. The buildings were insured in the Royal Exchange Insurance Company, the South British Insurance Company and the New Zealand Insurance Company, the total amount being £450. The caretaker and his staff saved a picket fence near the building by the use of a fire extinguisher.