Quite a stir was created in Rushden on Sunday evening as the people were leaving the various places of worship.  A flickering light was noticed in the greengrocer’s shop of Mr. George Willmott, and an alarm was quickly raised, some passers-by rattling the door and kicking it in order to call the attention of the occupants of the premises to the flare.  The house attached to the shop is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Lack, the latter being the daughter of Mr. George Willmott.  Mr. Lack had not yet returned from the Park-road Baptist Church, of which place of worship he is a member, but Mrs. Lack was at home.  For a moment or two she took no notice of the noise, thinking it was caused by ill-mannered lads. Some of the people went round the back and called Mrs. Lack’s attention to the outbreak. It was then found that the ceiling of the shop was on fire. Above the shop is a sitting-room, in the grate of which a fire had been lighted as usual during the day. Under the hearthstone are some boards, and these had evidently become overheated and at last broke out into a blaze.

  The Fire Brigade were notified of the out-break, and several of the firemen were quickly in attendance. Mr. G. R. Turner took the hand-pump, and the others followed with the hose cart. Prior to the brigade being called a staff of about twenty workers were busy locating the fire and endeavouring to suppress it. Mr. Arthur Drage got a ladder from No.7 Orchard-place, and this was taken into the shop. Mr. B. V. Page mounted the ladder and threw water on to the burning boards. When Mr. Turner arrived with the hand-cart he played a good stream of water on the seat of the fire, and the outbreak was quickly extinguished.

  An effort had been made to get at the fire from the sitting-room above, but this proved futile, and so the match-boarded ceiling of the shop was smashed in with a hatchet and the smouldering wood was exposed.

  The firemen present were Captain Fred Knight, J.P., First Officer J. T. Colson, Second Officer G. R. Turner, Firemen C. Green, Barker, H. Green, and L. Bridgford.  Thanks to the energetic steps they took and to the plucky efforts of those who first noticed the outbreak, a disastrous fire was averted.  A portion of the ceiling was damaged and some of the contents of the shop suffered from the water, the total damage being estimated at about £40.

  Inspector Cameron, P.S. Ellingham, and four constables were quickly on the scene of the fire, and did good service.  Very great credit is due to Mr. B. V. Page for his promptitude and energy.