FIRE—A BAD MASTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 19, 24 January 1939, Page 6

FIRE—A BAD MASTER.

Despite the lesson of the tragic bush fifes is Victoria, New Zen landers do not yet nni to have realised how aerupuloasly easeful they must be to avoid any careless action which might cause a fire. This is the holiday season, and campers* and motorists, through the increased facilities of better highways, are .more widely spread than ever throughout country districts. On them devolves the greatest responsibility to take'cure, though the same responsibility must be shared by all citizens, young and old. Fires capable of disastrous consequences can be caused so very easily. The smallest spark from a camp Are not properly extinguished could Wart a blase which might destroy forest, property, stock and even life. That is exactly what happened in one district in Australia, and one careless man was morally culpable of burning down an entire town and of causing the death of a fellow citizen in the Conflagration. No death from such a fire has occurred in New Zenland this summer, but the carelessly thrown burning match or lighted cigarette end has started fires which could just as easily have caused a death as the destruction of bush. Only a few days ago a match dropped burning into some blackberry near Gisbome destroyed eighteen acres of bush reserve. Again, in the week-end, 40,000 young trees on the historic Pirongia Mountain were destroyed by a fire beginning in some fern, which at present is as dry as tinder. Just as serious was a fire Which threatened the Puketi State reserve near Kerikeri on Sunday—and the forest contains some of the finest kauri left in the North, j This country has not so much forest that it can afford to have more ravaged by fire.