£13,000 Damage

Big Copra Fire in Suva

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Apr. 1.

/YNE of the worst fires experienced for ” many years broke out here early in the evening of Saturday, March 13. and raged right through the week-end. doing over £13,000 worth of damage.

It destroyed a copra store, containing 420 tons of copra belonging to Morris.

Hedstrom Ltd . as well as the stock and plant of Pacific Tobacco Ltd., a company controlled by Mr. S. Levy.

The conra was- insured for £B.OOO and the building for £3.500. Mr. Levy valued his stock and plant at £1,500, but had only a £3OO policy on it.

Considerable damage was done both bv fire and water to the premises of Union Scans Ltd., next door but the amount of this has not yet-been ascertained.

When the fire was first discovered and the fire brigade, under Superintendent G. Bright, reached the outbreak, there was little to be seen but dense smoke. Manv people thought that, like most Suva fires, it would be soon extinguished. However, it had too good a hold, and despite sev eral leads from nearbv hydrants and one fire engine pumping thousands of gallons of sea-water from the harbour, it could not be nut out. In a few hours the concrete building was a raging inferno.

On one side of the building was a wooden store containing paint, kauri gum, carbide, and other inflammables, and steps w r ere taken to remove its con tents early.

The brigade made a good save of the soap works on the other side, for the wind was blowing in that direction and flames were licking through the window's at the top of the walls. Rafters were set alight, iron work was damaged, and the concrete wall showed signs of bad bul ging, but most of the stock was quickly carried away.