WAR ON BUSH FIRES

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18924, 12 February 1927, Page 10

WAR ON BUSH FIRES

VICTORIAN PROPOSALS. MOTOR BRIGADES AND PATROLS. ,rr.yi! ol'F. own '.orKasroy >:jt.'; SYDNEY. January 21. Methods by whi;h it i» hoped to saleguard the Victorian forest areas ar.a to pi event ft recurrence of the fires which last February devastated large areas of Victoria ant! (.a-isod thu loss ( .f 33 live* have been nniiounccd by the Victorian Forest; v Commis:ion. New Zealand snould be particularly interested in these proposed measures, for

wherever forestry is a live subject, the maintenance of adequate safeguards against the fire fiend and the methods of different countries should be oi great importance. The Victorian Commission has made arrangements for motor patrols to be established to cover all parts of the State. The patrols will comprise experienced Forest Commission officers and police, and will have full power to prosecute. This week a representative of the sub committee of various Government Department* vitally in the prevention of bush fires went lo Eastern Gippsland, where the '•tall limber" is, and begun establishing bush fire brigades under proper authority in vari'-us centres of population. Later the wholo State will be visited rn'J brigades established.

The motor patrols will ewver all roads and public highways, and go nlou ; j tracks which nre practically inacccssiole to tho* ordinary motorist. Tha lorcst.CommissionV officers will be fully acquainted with the fitc provi-

sions in the Polioe Offences Act, and anyone, either on public or private property, illegally lighting or starting fires will be prosecuted. All officers have been instructed that the national welfare must be considered firsthand foremost. Settlers and others will be met en route and public meetings will be held, where the methods of fighting bush fires will be explained and the policy of the. Government on the assistance which will be given to iieoplc in the hack country »»ill bo outlined. As far as possible,'the. Gurcrument will help in the provision of equipment for the bush fires brigades. "The idea," explained one of the forestry commissioners, "is to get trie people* to h*lp themselves, and the Government will help them. The commission is determined to prevent even. tl«o smalleat fire, and hopes to have everything ready by February, the most dnnt'orous of all month-; for bush fire/i in Victoria." It is considered that the personal touch of the Department's representa-

tives with the resident*! ested in the: prevantffllH will be producUw otg Strange to say,, wme ooth formation of bush fir*< been found in some qoirtW .Gippsland, but it is beM» opposition will be oyflrcoß ter idea of national «*H hoped that the efforts «fc i;i the eastern portion«»* are in sympathy with.a IP novment will prevail- -a Tlie system of patrols, W phonic towers have rcc«ntlv »g"| for officers of the Forww, checking ei:rly w™«"J9H as a result has saved com Recently an outbreak;';?; motorist, who couM bv the forestry <>«><**%«£ tar.ee, wa« easily T *j n| !l patrols hefire it hO" *$ extent. This wtamV'Jß destruction by nroof *;v«| tion of young pines. J>aj