TRAIL OF FIRES

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30391, 16 March 1964, Page 12

TRAIL OF FIRES

Plantation In Danger

Five fires, believed to have been started by a northbound goods train, kept members of the Rakaia Volunteer Fire Brigade busy for six hours on Saturday.

Urgent appeals for assistance were sent out late in the afternoon as a strong northwest gale fanned a blaze which threatened a Selwyn pine plantation near Bankside. Fire units from Leeston. Southbridge and Dunsandel answered the call for help and the Selwyn Plantation Board’s two fire fighting units were also called in. Local farmers assisted by carting water on trucks and in tanks from nearly water races.

Fifteen Rakaia firemen dealt with the outbreaks with both the brigade’s units. Shortly after the goods train passed through Rakaia early in the afternoon the first fire was noticed at the south end of the Rakaia traffic bridge. It was quickly extinguished by the brigade which then travelled on to a more serious outbreak near the overhead railway bridge. As the units crossed the traffic bridge two smaller fires burning in the riverbed were noticed.

Over the bridge gorse and broom were burning strongly and, helped by the wind, the fire swept along a boundary fence between the farms owned by Webb Brothers and Mr A. F. Watts, near the main road to Southbridge. On a 10 chain front the fire spread rapidly for a distance of one mile. It was brought under control on the properties of Mr J. Stubbs and Mr J, Johnston. A further mile north the most serious outbreak was encountered near Bankside. Spreading rapidly through gorse and dry grass on the properties of Mr B. T. Breading and Webb Brothers, the fire reached the Selwyn Plantation Board’s plantation and threatened hundreds of acres of trees. The flames entered the plantation which was saved when firemen brought the fire under control as it reached the first fire break. A blue gum burnt through and fell across a high tension line. Several others which were burning up to 40 feet high were felled before the line was repaired and the power restored.