THE BUSH FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 112, 4 February 1908, Page 7

THE BUSH FIRES.

• DESTRUCTION IN THE HAMTJA ' DISTRICT. t : ' (BY TELKQRAPIl —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) 1 , Eketahuna, February 3. The southerly wind oil Saturday freshened tho fires in the Hamua district and an anxious time was experienced by residents. Ina number of instances furniture was removed from' tho houses to places, of safety, - A. three-roomed cottage, occupied by W. : "Wliite, alongside the hotel, was destroyed. A little, of the furniture'wa's saved. - * Several cowsheds and outbuildings were demolished, and general damage done to tho township,; which has .beon in grave danger from destruction. "■. 'Nativfes the. hill opposite the hotel 'cleared their whares of everything and slepfc 'injtho open air all night. . , ; A;;THevfiMs.-.havp;iiow-sul)sided.~ - ■ '. GRASS, FIRE AT GLADSTONE. (BY XELEOBAPII—STECIAL CORKESI'OMIENT.) , ;• : ; Masterton, February 3. On - Saturday . afternoon a fire, believed to have beon caused by imperfectly-mixed pliosphorised rabbit poison,, ravaged fifty acres of J.; Strang's pastures ' near Tupurupuru, Gladstone, and; was : only -extinguished after three hours' hard fight by the staff, Mr. W. C; Buchanan's station, hands, and the Wairarafia • County Council's 'roadmen. The position at ono time, was most dangerous, as ..no rain had fallen in Gladstone for. months, and had; the conflagration reached a belt.of timber near by the country would have been ablaze for miles. Phosphorus badly mixed with grain or pollard.has often caused severe fires in . different portions, of New Zealand. ; Attention should be directed to the need for spccial'care in the/preparation of' rabbit food. ;•- -