TREES AND SCRUB BURNT

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27873, 23 January 1956, Page 10

TREES AND SCRUB BURNT

FIRE ON SEWAGE FARM HUNDREDS FIGHT BLAZE Between 100 and 150 acres of scrub and part of the pine plantations on the Christchurch Drainage Board’s sewage farm at Bromley were burnt yesterday. Soon after the fire began shortly before midday, a yard full of timber and a sawbench belonging to the Bromley Firewood Company were destroyed, but damage to other property was slight. The fire broke out close to Ruru road and burning through scrub, it immediately menaced the home of Mr and Mrs J. G. Sibly, at 175 Ruru road. Fire fighting units were quickly on the spot and with the help of willing neighbours, the fire was kept away.

Dozens of fire-fighters also helped to save another yard and buildings of the Bromley Firewood Company in Ruru road. A wind change also tended to carry the flames away. The fire subsequently worked its way over acres of scrub, mainly on the Drainage Board’s 900-acre sewage farm and into part of its 130 acres of plantations. Fire-fighting units were hampered in their efforts bywater being available in only limited areas, and elsewhere action was mainly confined to beating, but fire fighters were so numerous that, in the words of the Drainage Board’s chief engineer, Mr E. F. Scott, “they really saved the situation.” Fighters Obscured In the high scrub the dozens of fire fighters were obscured from the view of many sightseeing motorists who moved along the roads in the locality. The fire came close to a Drainage Board house in Dyers road occupied by Mr C. Day and it reached within a few feet of a caravan on land which Mr E. Ebborn, of Garlands road, leases from the Davis Gelatine N.Z., Ltd. When a hen house on this property was burnt down Mr Ebborn lost 50 pullets. A dray and double horse lorry were also burnt. Mr Ebborn arrived late in the afternoon to find this damage.

The Christchurch Fire Brigade, which had five units and an auxiliary tender in the area during the day, made good use of the water from a big

drain running through the property. A fireman on one of the units, which was still playing water on to smoulderins pine needles at almost 6 p.m., displayed pyjamas under his uniform—he had been in action at fires since 7.40 a.m.

Sixty Air Force personnel, including some members of the American “Deep Freeze” Antarctic expedition, were among the fire fighters. The Air Force also had a 1000 gallon tanker in action. Army, Forest Service, City Council and Drainage Board personnel also fought alongside many volunteers. A big Drainage Board bulldozer was busy making breaks around the burnt-out area.

Mrs G. .Clarke, of Breezes road, made several visits to -the fire area carrying billies of tea and food. Mr Scott said last evening that the fire had not done as much damage to the board’s plantation as he had feared when he first saw it. While he could give no precise estimate of the area of trees burned, he predicted that the damage would be comparatively light. Mr Scott paid a tribute to all those who had fought the fire.