HIGH FIRE DANGER

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31247, 20 December 1966, Page 18

HIGH FIRE DANGER

Forest Service Warning

High temperatures and strong north-westerly winds during the last two weeks are rapidly drying out vegetation in and around forest areas. The principal ranger for the Canterbury conservancy of the Forest Service (Mr T. E. C. Bridge) said yesterday that if this continued the fire danger would become extreme during the holiday period. Mr Bridge said that persons should take every care with fires. Although spring rains had been unusually favourable from a fire prevention point of view they had resulted in an abundance of growth which now provided material to burn.

“With temperatures in the eighties and relative humidities as low as 12 per cent the fire danger during the last week has been high in all forests, particularly in Balmoral,” Mr Bridge said. He said fire crews and lookouts should be on duty in all forests, but persons who saw unauthorised fires in or about forest areas should get in touch With the Forest Service, police or some other responsible person. Billy boiling or camp fires should be made in approved fire places or in river beds away from vegeation. They should then be extinguished. Last season 193 fires were recorded in Canterbury rural areas, but none in State forests. The causes of 50 of these were unknown.

Fire damaged 346 acres of grassland or crops, and 11 acres of plantation.