FIRES IN HEDGES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10386, 4 May 1925, Page 5

FIRES IN HEDGES.

EVIDENCE OF DELIBERATION-THIRTY-THREE IN EIGHT YEARSOUTBREAK ON SUNDAY MORNING. A fire occurred in the thick macrocarpa hedge in front of Dr. G. W. Coats' house in Tancred Street at 3.30 o'clock on Sunday morning. As the hedge has a perfectly green cuter surface, and in view of the fact that at good deal of rain fell on Friday night, the supposition that the fire was an accident can be ruled out. Apart from this, the? fence is a well-trimmed one, and there could be no excuse for wilfully setting it alight. Seven or eight yards were totally destroyed. Not very long ago Dr. W. J. Mullin, who lives opposite, and whose fence has twice been on fire, put out a fire in Dr. Coats' fence, near his garage. The third fence fire of the present year called the brigade to Williant Street, on the night of the Baptist, Tabernacle fire, but it was not attended, the brigade devoting its-; attention to the Tabernacle. In recent y ears' fires in hedges in> Ashburton have reached an alarming • number, and in view of their frequency it can only be assumed that they havebeen deliberately started. Accident is ruled out of practically all the cases attended by the Fire Brigade. Since the beginning of 1917 there have been 33 fence fires in the Borough, as follow:—1917, 3; 1918. 3; 1919, nil; 1920, 1; 1921 5; 1922 4: 1923, 8; 1924, 6; 1925, 3. The chief sufferer by these fires has been Mr H. F. Nicoll, whose high macrocarpa hedge in William Street has been on fire six or seven times. Mr Nicoll hasgone so far as to offer a reward for information leading to the convictionof the one responsible. Though a keen watch has been set for the perpetrator or perpetrators, no sign has been seen of them. Most of the outbreaks have occurred in the early hours of the morning, when there were no people about to give an alarm till the lames had a good hold, and consequently detection is very difficult. I While the firemen of the Ashburton Brigade have turned out in large numbers to suppress the flames, they must find it very annoying to be called from their beds in all weathers to deal with the handiwork of a seemingly irresponsible person. In some instances hedges located close to houses have been set alight, one of these being in Tanored Street last week; and apart ! from danger to house property, there. 1 is the danger to human life.