TOWN SAVED BY RAIN

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28471, 28 December 1957, Page 9

TOWN SAVED BY RAIN

N.S.W. Bushfires (Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 27. The weary citizens of tiny Roto, New South Wales, today offered prayers of thanks for the ten points of rain which saved their town from destruction by a bushfire during the night.

The citizens evacuated the town, which is 400 miles west of Sydney, last night as flames from the flank of a 40-miles long bushfire swept to within a few hundred yards of the town. The huge bushfire, which has been burning in( scrub and spinifex for several Bays, was smouldering today ]but fire-fighters were able to keiep it under control. Already th|e fire has burned out more than 2,000,000 acres of grazing country.) Roto’s postmaster, Mr A. C. Wood, said today: “The fire came within a few ydrds of the town when we had a shower of rain and it was nothing less than a miracle. Those jlO to 12 points were the only thing that saved the town from being razed to the ground.” 1 Last night, while the men tried to fight the blsze, women and children, with household furniture and personal belongings piled on trucks, evacuated to Hillston, 36 miles away, j Cooler conditions throughout New South Wales today decreased the danger of more bushfire damage, but weary; fire-fighters in the central western area and in Sydney’s “firebejlt” suburbs, are maintaining a constant watch for fresh outbreaks.! The township ?of Hill End, 50 miles north of Bathurst, is tensely awaiting developments today. Yesterday, a big fire, which has been raging for four days, was diverted when only 300 J yards from the Post Office and it is now burning in scrub near tHje town. Fires in the north shore suburb of Lane Cove were still smouldering today, but no more outbreaks are expected. The citizens off Terrigal, a small seaside resort 65 miles north of Sydney, early today were glumly surveying damagfe caused by yesterday’s bushfires. A private hotel and five homes were totally destroyed when a bushfire raged on the outskirts of the town yesterday afternoon. Early estimates pjaced the damage at £50,000. • Only when (jense clouds of smoke began to blow down to the beaches and 60f£-high flames appeared on the ridge behind Terrigal did people realise how serious the fire was.

Terrigal has tyo public water supply and firemen had to fight the flames with ivater from backyard tanks. Tljie town is now suffering from -its worst water shortage ever. {