A NATIONAL CALAMITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 45, 23 February 1931, Page 6

A NATIONAL CALAMITY.

The outbreak of fire in Trounson Park draws attention once more to the urgent necessity for protecting our few surviving kauri reserves from this' ever-present menace. In this case the circumstances of the outbreak are extremely suspicious, and there appears to be little doubt that _ the fires were deliberately started by an incendiary. But, quite apart from criminal lunacy of this sort, Trounson's bush and Waipoua are in constant danger .of destruction now that access to. the heart of the bush is made easy by roads. Happily, the fires' in Trounson's bush have been extinguished after a desperate struggle, and the actual destruction of this priceless national possession has been averted. But it is evident that the means available for coping with fire in these forest areas fire inadequate, and precautions on a larger and more expensive scale must be taken to ensure the safety of the kauris in Trounson Park and Waipoua. The magnificence and beauty of these national forests, and their unique character as survivors of an order of things rapidly passing away, would justify far heavier expenditure than has yet been incurred on their behalf, and the provision of effective means for their protection against fire has been- already- too Jong -delayed. >