Big Fire at the Kinema
Garfield County News, 15 February 1924, page 1
Last Saturday evening about the conclusion of the first show at the Kinema, one of the reels of the serial got stuck in the machine and caught fire, which ignited the full reel in the lower magazine of the machine. Manager McIff immediately took the reel from its resting place and undertook to extinguish the flames which were beyond his control. He was compelled to throw the burning mass from him and it landed in the bottom of the building on the lobby floor thus blocking the exit of himself and compelling him to exit through the trap door on the roof.
After the reel had burned down quite a little Mr. McIff managed to crawl down and save the rest of the reels, which consisted of a feature, and his office furniture. The fire progressed very slowly and as there were very few people in the house at the time, there was no trouble in getting the people out in a very quiet manner.
We understand there was %5,000 insurance on the building but nothing on the fixtures and furniture, and as they are a total loss everything new will have to be purchased before another picture show can be started in Panguitch. It has not been ascertained just what the loss will reach as yet.
On account of the condition of the water mains and the supply of water, it was absolutely useless to undertake to save the building, so the water that could be utilized was used on the garage at the north and the residence in the rear of the picture house, and as the wind was very much in everybody's favor the fire was not spread at all, but had the wind been blowing a gale from the south it is hard to imagine the danger that end of town would have been in.
Everyone did all that could be done, and gave all the assistance in their power.
After the reel had burned down quite a little Mr. McIff managed to crawl down and save the rest of the reels, which consisted of a feature, and his office furniture. The fire progressed very slowly and as there were very few people in the house at the time, there was no trouble in getting the people out in a very quiet manner.
We understand there was %5,000 insurance on the building but nothing on the fixtures and furniture, and as they are a total loss everything new will have to be purchased before another picture show can be started in Panguitch. It has not been ascertained just what the loss will reach as yet.
On account of the condition of the water mains and the supply of water, it was absolutely useless to undertake to save the building, so the water that could be utilized was used on the garage at the north and the residence in the rear of the picture house, and as the wind was very much in everybody's favor the fire was not spread at all, but had the wind been blowing a gale from the south it is hard to imagine the danger that end of town would have been in.
Everyone did all that could be done, and gave all the assistance in their power.