FOREST FIRE PREVENTION

Press, Volume C, Issue 29702, 21 December 1961, Page 20

FOREST FIRE PREVENTION

Co-operation Sought

"We can not repeat often enough the request to the public that they take every possible precaution to prevent fires,” said Mr C. O. Bridgeman, senior forest ranger, of the Forest Service in Canterbury, yesterday. He was commenting on the increased danger of fires in State forests during the holidays. “When picnickers boil the billy or cook meals they should take the commonsense precautions of clearing sufficient ground round the site of the fire and when they have finished with the fire making quite sure it is out by damping it down with water and finally covering it with earth,” Mr Bridgeman said. There were careless persons who threw down lighted matches or flicked cigarette ends out of car windows. It was surprising how many fires were started in those ways. Another hazard was allowing children to play with boxes of matches. Mir Bridgeman emphasised the danger of fires being started in the Eyrewell Forest fire district by fishermen and picnickers. "We have had several fires in that area through the carelessness of persons unknown,” he said. "The North Canterbury Catchment Board also has valuable plantations in that district They are important to Christchurch for they protect a river which could be dangerous to the city. Persons using the road on the north bank of the Waimakariri river should know it is a private road and the public should not be travelling on it. We had a fire in the Eyrewell area about a week ago. It is an offence to light a fire in the open there or in any other fire district without a permit. “In the State forests we are taking special steps to have fire-fighting crews on hand and the lookouts are staffed all the time. Our forests are fully officered during the holidays,” said Mr Bridgeman. The undergrowth in Canterbury forests was very dry again and it only needed a nor’-wester to make the forests the fire hazards they were in October and November. The Balmoral forest had always been regarded as the greatest fire hazard but the others also were serious hazards this year and the Forest Service was seeking the co-operation of the public in keeping fire out of a national assert, Mr Bridgeman said.