GRASS FIRE AT GODLEY HEAD

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21685, 20 January 1936, Page 12

GRASS FIRE AT GODLEY HEAD

• BIG AREA OP PASTURE DESTROYED ■ ■ PLANTATION AND BUILDINGS THREATENED A grass fire which broke out about 10.30 on Saturday morning near the lighthouse at Godley Head assumed large proportions during the day, and at one time seriously threatened the plantation and outbuildings of the lighthouse itself, the fog-signal station and the Harbour Board’s cable shed and several huts on the lighthouse reserve. ‘ The outbreak is thought to have been caused by a lighted match or cigarette butt dropped by a party consisting of two young men and a boy who were carrying pea-rifles and were seen searching for rabbits nearby just before the outbreak. The fire quickly spread towards the lighthouse. The lighthouse-keeper, Mr T. B. Smith, organised a party of men from the huts to fight the outbreak and also summoned the Sumner Volunteer Fire Brigade. Fanned by a westerly wind, the flames at times travelled at a terrific speed and reached to a height of more than 20 feet. Buildings Threatened The arrival of the fire brigade brought the number of fire-fighters up to about 30, and all worked strenuously. The cable-station, a small shed down near the shore, was surrounded by flames and was only saved after hard work with beaters. The fog-signal station, well down the cliff below the lighthouse, was next threatened, the fire travelling down the thick grass in the clefts of the rocks.. To deal with

this a man was lowered down on a rope. He succeeded in beating the fire back, nut only after he had suffered burns to his face and arms. Soon after midday the outbreak appeared to be under control, and the brigade returned to Sumner. Within an hour the wind freshened and the fire again got out of hand. It assumed even larger proportions and was particularly fierce on a hillock known as Hedgehog Hill. The brigade was again brought from Sumner. After another two hours or more of hard work. Vie wind

changed to north-easterly, and removed all danger to the lighthouse. The fire travelled along the hills in the direction of Evan’s Pass, destroying a large area of grass on property leased by Mr A. Forbes. Passengers by the steamer-express Rangatira, which left Lyttelton on Saturday night, had a good view of the blaze, which illuminated the nearby hills. By yesfbrday morning the fire had burnt itself out. Mr Smith lost about 150 acres of grass on the lighthouse reserve, on which he grazes sheep, but saved about 100 acres. He expressed appreciation of the work of the Sumner Fire Brigade and other helpers, and also of the services of Mrs J. Bisman and other women in the huts in providing refreshments and tea for the fire-fighters.

FOUR SMALL OUTBREAKS The Central Fire Brigade had a busy week-end, attending fires, none of which was at all seripus. Eight minutes before midnight on Saturday the brigade was called to a council rubbish dump near the corner of Lyttelton and Conway streets, Spreydon. Some sawdust had been smouldering, but the outbreak was quickly suppressed. The second call was from the corner of Harakeke and Rossdale streets yesterday to a grass fire in a paddock at the back of the property of Miss D. Humphries, 67 Fendalton road. The fire did not threaten buildings, and was soon under control. This call was received at 1.4 p.m. and was followed 23 minutes later by a third one from 22 Scotson avenue, where a hedge fire on the property of Mr L. R. Corsbie was put out before any great damage was done.

A more serious fire occurred later in the afternoon in St. Max-tins. The brigade was called to a shed near the corner of St. Martins and Wilson’s roads, where fire had a good hold and destroyed some of the contents of the building, including harness, oilskins, and chaff. The building itself was slightly damaged.

SCRUB FIRE AT STYX

FLAMES COVER AREA OP FIFTY ACRES Fire fed by scrub, wattle trees, and the dry needles of pine- trees, swept down on three sides of a house in the Lower Styx road yesterday afternoon, and it was only after strenuous fighting by a crowd of more than 100 persons that the house was saved from destruction and the flames finally brought under control. As it was., a corner of the house was burned and a fowlhouse and another building were totally destroyed. Altogether the flames covered about 50 acres of land. The house, a two-storeyed one standing alone among paddocks with a pine and wattle plantation on one side, belongs to Mr A. E. Chapman, and has for long been a landmark in the district. Mr Chapman had been sitting at lunch when

the fire was discovered. Flames were travelling at great speed through a paddock of grass in front of the house, and the plantation at one side was also alight, giving off clouds of smoke which could be seen in the city. Flames, too, were leaping over the tops of the trees and high into the air. The dense clouds of smoke soon attracted neighbours and many people who were driving motorcars, and it was not long before more than 100 cars were lined up on the road outside the house and their occupants were assisting in the fight. Some of them assisted members of the Chapman family to remove furniture, and the house had been practically emptied before the danger was past.. The fire had travelled right up to the front of the house, and had actually started to burn a corner before it was beaten out. Then it swept round one side and burned a garden of shrubs. On the third side it travelled through the plantation,

rnzGci a, shed and a fowlhouse, and went on into land beyond, owned by Mr L. Wilson, where it was still smouldering late in the afternoon Sixty fowls which had been in the

fowlhouse had entirely disappeared but it was thought that they had escaped and sought shelter somewhere. The efforts of the fire-fighters were hampered considerably by the absence of water, which bad to be carried from a well in a paddock some distance from the house Most of the fighters beat the flames with branches and garden tools. Picnickers who were seen earlier in the day on property nearby wore blamed for the outbreak. It is thought that they lit a fire to boil a billy, and that sparks were blown

mto some grass and started a blaze.