MYSTERIOUS FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 19, 24 January 1939, Page 10

MYSTERIOUS FIRE.

40,000 YOUNG TREES LOST. COUNCIL'S £2000 LOSS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) IK AWAAirrr, Monday. I Pit inline to niiout 40.000 young |>ine rcca if. ;.lU'd wlicu a lire from neighbouring fcrnland* reached the Te Awainiltn Borough Council's plantations on the municipal water supply catchment area on the slopes of l'irongia Mountain qii Saturday afternoon. The origin of the lire is n mystery, but when neighbouring settlers and the borough works foreman. Mr. |{. 11. Close, arrived tliere was evidence of live Cues having been lit in the fern. Sonic adjoining blocks, each comprising over 30,000 healthy young ti ccs, escaped destruction, due to the provision of lire hrratoi and the action of the settlers in heading off the flames by back-liriiig from the lire breaks. In special report to the Borough Councils works committee to-day Mr. Close said he could not account for the lire. Frequently during the summer months picnic parties visited the locality, but he liail not yet been able to find nnyone who was there last Saturday. The value of the trees lost was about £2000, for most of them were splendid specimens planted four or five years ago. To preserve the rest of the asset, he recommended the council to appoint someone to visit the reserve daily or to establish a man there permane'iitly. He added that lie lia«l several thousand more young trees in the nursery ready for planting out next winter,* but it would be unless planting them if better sujiervisioii was not arranged.