Fire at Wallfield House : Police bungle call to Fire Service

Hertfordshire Mercury, 9th June 1900

Transcript

In the early hours of Thursday 7 June a fire broke out at Wallfields House, Hertford, the home of Mr and Mrs Caldecott.  Mrs Caldecott was woken by a noise she thought was a burglar, only to discover a large amount of smoke when she opened her bedroom door.  Mr Caldecott attempted to deal with the fire whilst the gardener went to inform the police.  Whilst two fire officers turned up promptly at the fire brigade station they had to wait for information regarding the location of the fire as the police had failed to pass the information on; police officers had gone directly to Wallfields but the fire station was not connected by telephone to the police station.  Fortunately, the fire was put out, but had destroyed a lean-to and coal house as well as damaging the bedroom window and cornice above.

 

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