Fire Looters Run Risk Of Stern Reprisals

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29725, 19 January 1962, Page 9

Fire Looters Run Risk Of Stern Reprisals

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MELBOURNE, January 18. Looters were in danger of lynching if they were caught in the bush fire disaster areas, the acting Premier of Victoria (Mr A. G. Rylah) warned today. He said the Courts had shown yesterday how they regarded the lighting of fires by sending three persons to gaol. “I feel certain they will mete out the same treatment to looters,” he said.

It was hard to believe people could behave in such a way after so many had rallied with help in a time of crisis. A report from Tremont yesterday has resulted in a 15-year-old boy being charged with breaking, entering and theft. What was at first thought to be looting in some areas proved to be neighbours removing what they could from vacant houses in the path of fires. Early in the outbreak two cars were reported stolen. These had only been moved out of the path of approaching fires. At Warrandyte, however the home of Senior Constable Keith Stafford was looted

while he fought fires in other localities. The looters stole £2B in cash, a canteen of cutlery, which was a wedding present, a portable radio, and children’s money boxes. They also ripped up documents and threw food and other articles about the house. Senior Constable Stafford said today: "It was a bitter blow to find the house ransacked while I was away fighting fires in other districts."

Warrandyte police have received three other reports of looting in the district. Senior Constable Stafford is attached to the wireless patrol He returned to his home about 2 a.m. yesterday after three days’ fire-fighting duty in the Olinda, the Basin and St. Andrews areas He found his house had been alight but saved by local fire-fighters, who burst open a tank to flood the ground

around it. Sheds and outhouses were destroyed. Eight persons died—one boiled alive in a concrete tank—-in the fires which have ravaged large areas since Sunday. Almost 300 houses have been destroyed and pastures, fences, timber stands, orchards and gardens damaged. On Victoria’s south coast 50 Forest Commission firefighters are still battling against an eight-mile-long fire, which is creeping inland through forests in the Otway

Peninsula, 10 miles south of Lome.

Unless there is a sudden wind change, the Bremen are confident they can prevent the fire from reaching popu lated areas. Another big fire burning near Mansfield s still going strongly, but is being confined to bush country.

Pianist Killed (N.Z.P.A -Reuter—Copyright) ROME. January 18.

The Italian concert pianist. Giuseppe Postiglione, aged 32. was killed in a 630 ft fall yesterday down a snowcovered slope of Mount Terminillo. 50 miles north of Rome. Mr Boris Porena. aged 35, a composer, also fell and was injured.