BOYS TRAPPED BY FIRE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28513, 17 February 1958, Page 8

BOYS TRAPPED BY FIRE

Blaze In Gorse On Hills ■ (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 16. Five boys, aged between 10 and 14, bad a narrow escape when they were trapped in the middle of a gorse fire which raged across the Wainui-o-mata hills above Gracefield this afternoon. The boys are Alan Poole, David Burton, Gary Webley, of Korokoro, Petone, and Ralph Burton and Eruce Spinks, both of Gracefield road. Early in the afternoon, the boys decided to have a look at the remains of Friday's big fire at Gracefleld and then went for a tramp up the hills. When they began to come back down a beaten track, they found their passage blocked by the fire. They went back to the top of the track in hope of rescue. Meanwhile, at the foot of the hill the foster-father of one of the boys had seen the fire and immediately informed the police that the boys were up there. Constable B. H. Cruickshank, who was on duty at the Gracefield fire, attempted with some Lower Hutt firemen fighting the blaze, to find a way through the fire to rescue the boys. Unit Taken Up Hill When this was found to be hopeless, a mobile fire unit was brought'up the hill and firemen fought their way through the track with hoses. There, they came on Ralph Burton, who had left the others to see If it was possible to find a clear spot through the blaze. The other boys heard the policeman when he called out to them and made their' way down to where their companion and their rescuers were. They were brought to the foot of the hill, shaken by their ordeal, but otherwise unhurt. Gary Webley said afterwards they had thought of making a break but when they had tried, the flames were too fierce. The fire; first seen by firemen on duty at the Gracefield fire, is believed to have been started by two boys who were not connected with the five rescued. The fire at one stage threatened power lines carrying power to Wainui-o-mata but firemen managed to keep the flames oft. ■