Imperial Valley press., 1930-03-06
ST.
BLAZE IS
EXCITING
OILERS Store And Valley
Auto Supply cutie d
This Morning
FIRE SPECTACULAR
Highly Inflamahle Stock
Sends Heavy Clouds OF,
Smoke Across City II

OlItOhc ACIOSS NAlv ~
Fire which gutted the IT. G. Dillef
paint and hardware store, 6O9 Main
street and that of the Valley Auto
Supply company, next door, threats
ened for time this morning, to en-
| gulf the Bank of Italy building and
do mcalculable harm to the business
| section of this city. 1t was finally
brought under control only after the
fire department had worked stead
lily for an hour against the most
stubborn blaze of the year.
The first alarm was turned in at
9 o'clock and the call to Sixth and
! Main streets was accompanied by
a host of people from neighboring
stores as well as different parts OF
the city. Diller turned in the alarm
and the first engine to reach the
scene was directed through the alley
to the rear of the doomed building.
Several automobiles had followed
the fire trucks into the alleyway
f, and when it was discovered that the
! blaze was getting beyond control
! and that hose must be laid, much
confusion resulted in getting the
| ears out of the way so that the fire
| apparatus could get near the fire.
| plugs.
The blaze at first comparatively
, small, soon seized on paints and
other highly inflammable matter in
the store and burst forth in very
fury of flame and smoke, the inter-
ior of the building within Is min
utes resembling a regular inferno
while heavy billows of black smoke
were belched out over the sidewalk.
| For time the alley between Main
and State as wei as Sixth Street
flrom Main to State were so
darkened by the smoke that passage
| along these ways was almost impos-
| sible.
After hose was laid from fireplugs
at Sixth and Main and Sixth and
Broadway, the fire fighters got to
their work in earnest and four
streams of water were poured into
| the blazing furnace. AS each new
section of the paint supply caught
fire there would be another impetus
! given 20 the flames. Fear was felt
for while that they would get be.
yond control and spread to the Bank
of Italy building and that of the
Dunlap drygoods stores adjoining.
But steady stream of water played
on the former building and STAYED
off danger while the wind being
from the west, prevented the flames,
from reaching the drygoods store
B. M. Gruwell, superintendent Of
grammar schools, who was standing
in front of the Diller store when the
fire broke out and tried to beat it
out with sacks until it was seen that
an alarm must be turned in, gave the
Following as the cause of the fire.
Diller had been engaged in cleaning
gasoline stove when he was called
to the front of the store to wait
on customer. With gas fumes
hanging about in the air, man
working in the rear of the store,
struck match to light cigarette
with the result that the gas vapors
IN the air ignited, the stove followed
and in short order real fire was
IN progress. Efforts made by Diller
and others to extinguish the blaze
were apparently successful until
pant cans in the vicinity became
overheated and exploded, spreading
the flames and making call for the
department necessary.
Cars Cause Delay ss
Officials of the fire department
estimate the loss to the paint and
auto supply stores as between 90 to
10 r'cent of the total stock, or in
the neighborhod of $4,000. After
! the debris is removed and officials
! or the two stores are able to 20 over
their stock more carefully, this esti-
mate may be lowered
Much delay was caused the fire.
men by automobiles which were
! parked in front of the two stores
and had to be pushed or moved to
other locations before the hose
! could be brought in where it would
do most good. During the confla-
! grafton truck from the Calexico
| department arrived in the city and
stood by ready to offer assistance
! should it be needed. Word was also
received from the Mexicali fire de-
partment that they We're standing
ready to respond should any help
be needed. The local department,
while appreciatmg these offers from
the border cities had the situation
Wen IN hand and by 10 o'clock had.
the blaze under control although q
hose was kept pouring water into
the ruins up to noon.
Damage to the offices of the
southern Sierras Power company
and the Bank of Italy were confined
TO smoke which drove the officc
force out onto the street and TO the
front of the bank building which
was somewhat singed by the flames
and blaekened by smoke. When il
seemed that the bank might catch
flre, members of the staff rushed in
ana carried records and office ma
chinery out of the way of danger.