Firemen called back to Lewis Pass fire

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 2

Firemen called back to Lewis Pass fire

Hot spots flaring up kept firemen busy yesterday at the scene of a fire at Lochiel station, on the Lewis Pass road near Hanmer Springs. - The - fire, which began about 6 a.m. on Monday, burnt 2000 ha of mainly .tUsSock .land. Z Volunteer firemen, forest?, ry workers, four fire , engines from Culverden and Hanmer Springs, and four helicopters battled the blaze throughout IVfonday and brought the fife Jinder control by about midnight. . ; , -7 But workers were back at the fire before dawn yesterday dampening down areas that threatened to break out again.. > Two helicopters with monsoon buckets worked for "several hours, while a grader,cut a 12m strip across a terrace when wind threatened, to whip up the fire and ■xzarryit into grassland. *<: Mr E. G. O. Rutherford, of "Lochiel station, said that it -Was thought that a cigarette “butt thrown by a motorist "front a passing car might -Have started the fire.

‘Tt is the most likely explanation because of the

early hour- the fire broke out. There would be nobody barbecueing at that hour ana mo grader or other machinery would have been working,” .he said. Constable P. F, Gilfedder said late yesterday afternoon that the fire was out and that station owners were keeping an eye on the area. Part of the Lew’is Pass road was closed for about an hour early yesterday morning as ‘ fire engines, water tankers, pumps, and men worked from the road to fight the fire. Mr Rutherford said there had been a lot of damage to fences and about 1800 bales of .hay, which- would have been valuable winter feed, had been lost. The damage would run to more than $20,000. - . , Stock and farm buildings escaped the fire. All the stock from' the 4860 ha property were in the home paddocks awaiting dipping and crutching. •_ Mr Rutherford said that the fire was about 800 metres from farm buildings. If the fire had jumped a gully they would have been in danger. .