GRASS FIRE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25377, 27 December 1947, Page 6

GRASS FIRE

QUICK SAVE NEAR BURNHAM

FLAMES FANNED BY ' STRONG WIND

About 50 acres of light grazing grassland were burned and two houses and one of the Selwyn Plantation Board’s plantations were threatened by a fire, which broke out about four miles north of Burnham on the Main South road about' 5 p.m- yesterday. Units under the control of the Rural Fire Prevention Committee were quickly called to the scene and each went to an allotted area immediately on arrival.

Fire-fighting units were sent from the Air Force station at Weedons, from Lincoln College, the Christchurch Fire Brigade, and Burnham military camp, and the Sdlwyn Plantation Board dispatched its own plant to the fire. The fire menaced two houses, as the flames, fanned by a strong north-west wind, spread across the paddock. The fire were able to confine the flames within the paddock in which the outbreak occurred, and extinguished the blaze in that area a few chains from the houses.

One of the Selwyn Plantation Board’s plantations, of about 400 acres of young trees, was also threatened, but as the wind was sweeping across the burning paddock parallel with the plantation, only a spark could have caused a fire in the trees. Some’gorse and scrub at the outer edge of the plantation were burned. The superintendent of the Selwyn Plantation Board (Mr E. A. Cooney) said last evening that the rural fire fighting unit sent out by the Christchurch Fire Brigade had done excellent work in assisting to confine the blaze to the grass paddock. Units sent from Burnham and Weedons had also performed admirable services. he added.

A traffic inspector who was patrolling the road at the time of the outbreak rendered valuable assistance to the various fire-fighting units. .As the units arrived along the main road he directed them to the scene and at the same time kept the roads clear of would-be spectators. Fire-fighting units were able to take up position with a minimum loss of time.

The fire was extinguished about 6.15 p.m.. after which the Burnham unit worked until about 8 p.m. covering smouldering bushes with soil. The rural fire-fighting organisation had functioned smoothly. Mr Cooney said. Assistance had been given by neighbouring farmers and their families.

Mr Cooney added that the organisation had received a call about 11 a.m. yesterday when a paddock on a farm at Sandy Knolls caught fire from a spark from the West Coast express. Nearby farmers had extinguished the blaze before there had been much da .7? ag , e « and before any of the committee s units arrived, Mr Cooney said.