Fire!

"Photo News" was sitting in its car outside the Patutahi garage, half asleep, one hot Sunday morning last month when suddenly the whole township seemed to spring to life.

First a man drove up to the garage at reckless speed.

He unslammed the doors, climbed into a fire engine inside, revved the vehicle through the doors, set the siren screeching, and sat back to wait.

He didn't have to wait for long. Cars began to converge on the crossroads in clouds of dust. Broadsiding to sudden stops, their drivers leapt out and clambered on the engine.

With skidding wheels, and siren sounding, the engine took off in a cloud of dust towards a distant cloud of smoke.

The new Patutahi Fire Brigade was in action.

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Fire was not entirely unannounced

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Volunteer firemen show their mettle

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Siren soon produced activity: firemen answering the call to duty

New brigade at Patutahi has been formed under auspices of Patutahi Town Board. Engine was purchased from Lower Hutt. In this first practice fire, members handled their gear creditably, soon had water flowing and fire under control.

Site of fire was adjacent to Waipaoa River near Tietjen's bridge. Brigade won't always have such a handy water supply.

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Latecomer just made it

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Ready for the road

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Engine leaves for fire

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Crew prepares to drain Waipaoa dry