BUSH FIRE RISK ON WEST COAST

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26944, 21 January 1953, Page 5

BUSH FIRE RISK ON WEST COAST

CONTROL OFFICER BEGINS TOUR OF FORESTS (From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH, January 20. The Chief Fire Control Officer of the New Zealand Forest Service (Mr W. F. Wright, of Wellington) today began a tour of the forest areas of the West Coast. With the complete prohibition of the use of steam equipment in State forest areas, and a ban on the lighting of fires in the open, the situation was expected to remain under control, said the Conservator of Forests at Hokitika (Mr D. Kennedy) today. Meanwhile, most sawmillers were making the best arrangements they could to continue the employment of mill workers once supplies of logs carted in from the bush last week are cut out. Nearly all the mills, he said, depended on steam haulage at some stage of logging operations, and the prohibition had cut off their supply. The only mill to close down has been the big New Forest sawmill at Ngahere. This mill will most probably not resume operations until there is a good fall of rain. Efforts are being made at present to secure a petrol or diesel engine for the bush locomotive. Mr Kennedy said there was a great deal less smoke today than there has been for a we6k or so.