Hot spots continue to be found in plantations

Press, 20 December 1988, Page 5

Hot spots continue to be found in plantations

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL

Helicopter sweeps using infra-red equipment of adjacent areas at the Burgess Plantation near Dunsandel have found hot spots in other plantations. The chief executive of the Selwyn Plantation Board, Mr Bill Studholme, said the equipment had found a hot-spot in the

neighbouring Ellesmere County Council plantation and in other parts of the board’s plantations.

“The sparks from the original fire obviously travelled and started smouldering in other areas,” he said.

Army staff and volunteers were continuing to work at the site and the team were particularly

grateful for the work by the independent contractors who had helped with equipment and staff, he said.

The hot spots had included root systems and old tree stumps burning deep in the ground, said Mr Studholme.

“At its peak, the fire jumped across large areas, and the situation is still very dangerous.”

The hi-tech infra-red equipment has been brought in to seek out hot spots among the piles of debris in the plantation and the search had been expanded to other areas. There are fears the smouldering hot spots at the plantation could flare into another serious fire in the dry weather. Mr Studholme said

strong north-west winds forecast for tomorrow morning could create another breakout. Staff at the site would have a good chance of controlling any flare-up in the original burn, he said. Four Army rural firefighting units are still at the scene damping down the hot spots, with about 50 other workers.