Man forced out of fire’s path

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 1

Man forced out of fire’s path

By

BARRY CLARKE

The Lower Hutt police arrested a man for refusing to leave a house threatened by a big bush fire last evening. The man, aged 26, was taken away by the police as fire swept through scrub and native bush in the harbourside suburb of Point Howard. A house was destroyed, three others were damaged, and 50 residents taken away as firefighters fought the fire for four hours. "We could, see the fire from the police station,” a Lower Hutt police spokesman said. He said the police knew “right from the start” people would have to be moved. “The fire took only three

minutes to get from the bottom of the hill to the top where the houses were. “I don’t really know what this guy was thinking when he wanted to stay. He was apparently looking after his parents’ place. Maybe that’s why. There was no way he could have stayed. We had to get him out.” The house was not damaged, but a cover on a pool was singed. The police later decided not to charge the man. A helicopter and 29 appliances, including four-wheel-drive vehicles, were used in fighting the fire which started about 4.38 p.m. The police said the fire might have been started by a cigarette thrown from a vehicle.