Fight Against Scrub Fires Near Forest

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30274, 29 October 1963, Page 16

Fight Against Scrub Fires Near Forest

(New Zealand Press Association)

ROTORUA. Oct. 28. State Forest and Taupo Fire Brigade members today fought their second big scrub fire in two days. Yesterday they battled for three hours with a fire which threatened the 350,000-acre Kaingaroa State Forest near Waitahunui.

This morning, just before 9.30 a.m., a second blaze, one mile and a half north of yesterday's fire, broke out in scrub on the western side of the forest. One machine, six firemen and two officers from the Taupo brigade rushed to join Forest Service members fighting the fire in difficult country.

A strong south-westerly drove yesterday’s fire to threaten the lower section of the forest. No houses were threatened. Three machines from Taupo together with a number from the State Forest camp, fought the blaze for three hours before bringing it under control. At one stage there were almost 40 men in the field attacking the blaze from two points. The blaze was in rugged and difficult country, a mile beyond the power transmission lines from the Taupo Borough Council's power station at Hinemaia. Men and machines had to be taken over rough tracks to reach the seat of the fire. Forest Service vehicles used a fire break along the western ridge of the forest. Both fires are believed to have been started by deerstalkers.