Two Fires – 50 Years Apart – Rye's Own Magazine

Two Rye Fires, 50 Years Apart

A picture paints 1000 words. The photograph at the foot of the page was taken by local photographer, C. H. Axell. It shows, in great detail, the Rye Fire Brigade of 1912 coping with the aftermath of a blaze at Harvey’s builders premises in South Undercliff.

First Fire Appliance has Arrived but the building is well alight

The other photographs are before and during scenes when fire devastated
the Central Garage in Cinque Ports Street in 1960. The fire was at it’s height when the first picture was taken. It was a great tribute to Rye Fire Service that the whole block was not burnt to the ground.

Frank Bourne, one of a Rye family of firefighters, was Fire Chief at the time and was highly commended for his fine leadership on the day.

Fire at Harvey Builders Rye 5 September 1912

Rye’s Own May 2006

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