TAIHAPE FIRES SUBSIDING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 102, 23 January 1908, Page 8

TAIHAPE FIRES SUBSIDING.

SEVERAL MILLS STILL IN DANGER. (BT TKr.EGRAM—SPECIAL COIWESFONDENT.) Taihapo, January 22. To-day has. been-hot-, : with no sign (if rain, :,and the-fires--are-still burning. They are especially dangerous at Winiata, where two

nulls are .i still surrounded bv smouldering lit'es. One .has lost five chains of tramline, bijt preparations against tho attack were made by .'clearing the scrub arouiid the mills. A constant watch is still kept throughout the night, and tho -malinger nt' one mill has not . been- out- of his'clothes' since Saturday; -\ '

The town.'..-is still-.-surrounded by heavy, smoke, - but ,the breeze, which"' threatened- last fight idropped 'to-day. It has, however, freshened again a.little now. To-night's reports from Baetihi state, that tho bush fires are still burning over -a considerablo area';of .country, and'a good deal of grass and-feiicing has. been burnt. It- is 1 expected that there will be much loss of property if the wind rises before rain .comes.;' The fires are. spreading over tile OhuraAAaipuna ridge, the Auaaka ridge, and the Mangaituroa and Valley roads. 'There are also largo fires'in the Olmtu block; and settlers are burying their household goods for safety. Raetihi township is safe so' far, although fires are burning on farms adjoining' Oha,kune. ■ ,-5 - - - Reports, state that there is no foundation for the rumour that the Rangatawa Com r pany's sawmill thero has been destroyed. What happened' was -that the' sawdust ilear tho mill was set . alight by a 'smouldering cigarette,. The fires on tho Rangatawa road are subsiding: The worst of • the . dangor■; is over. ': .' •There ; are a fow. small fires, in Ohakune,. but no damage is reported. •• Residents at Horopito had a bad timo'on Tuesday night; .and the jianvps had to,> be shifted, to places of safety.'' Several empty' tents- were 'burned : down,7 but ,110 further damage is','reported. . . / 'The-fires'generally'are-subsiding: . . .