EXTENSIVE CRASS FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 8

EXTENSIVE CRASS FIRES.

■: POSITION IN •RANGITIKEI. (BY TELEGRAPH—SrECIAL CORRESPONDENT.} .'. •Marton, February 20. Farmers ".attending,, the . Hunterville Ram Fair yesterday, roported that fires were rag,ing in; all directions; and settlers in tho Sandon - Blocki had been fighting the flames i for thrco days, under distressing conditions. So far it ..is! impossible, to get,particulars; of ;losses,'.but reports that reached Hunterville went to show that Mr..'Ew.cn MfGregor's fine grazing property of over a ■ thousand acres had been-swept, by fire. ' His milling bush has so far escaiped;, but if. tho \vind changes the resultsiwill 1 1)0 disastrous.,' - , In .'the' Pukebkabu Block 'a cloan sweep has bcoii made of, Mr. Neil Small's place, and lie is the.. heaviest loser .in that, district, but others'- liavo had serious losses,, the fires having played'havoc ion the'properties of Messrs. Smith and' G. "Li Marshall.' The Pohonui settloment- was ablaze yesterday, and a settler from that district reports that Messrs. Michael" Lyncli's 1 arid Michael Grower's buildings were* completely destroyed, besides a great 'area' of grass' : cbuntry. ,Yestorday, : 'fires' were'raging fiercely all along "tlib: eastern .bank.. of the Rangitikei -River,-but 11 the' fortunes of settlers are uiiascerta'inable.- ' r - c : /■'At:Hti'nterville"yeste'rday afternoon a grass fire started ; 'iri;,'the''Hun:terville Reserve aud took possession of .the 'hillside, and soveral buildinpt'-wejcefin danger. with much difficulty-that fire;wa3 kept from spreading. ' Pakihikura! has. suffered immense damage, and fesd' has been destroyed in every direction. "" ' . ; •: AROUND . APITI. \ . • ANOTHER SAWMILL GONE. ''' (BY, IELECaAPH^BPECiAI.. CORRESPONDENf.) . , v -Feilding, February 20. ■ Around Apiti' theroi.was a dangerous outr look . for.; settlers last .night. The 'wirid has ,-freshened' so/muchiatvApiti that settlers, who had .ran anxious itime tho,, previous night, began to •feel; oven: morei anxious about -their .homes, j. Boys-.were-being kept'from, the'school to'fight during tho day two lads were sent foi; urgently to como' home to -help-iin.-the fight.':. The .fires were approaching from two > sides of ;Apiti, arid the outlook was very dangerous. ~ _ , ". Mr. Carrutliers's se.cond sawmill went at 2 a.m.-yesterdayrbut'fortunately the plant had boon :reirioved;.,.• ■A :• great' deal of • timber was destroyed yesterday afternoon,- ;and last niglit a great'fire was raging ,in tho direction of •Coal Creek." • • . • ' ; Things looked, bad in .the Gorge this morning', where' a strong .ivirid was blowing. DAMAGE AT RANGIWAHIA. (FHOMV OTO'-i'SPEOIAtf: COREESPOKDENT.) ' ■ Rangiv;ahia, February 20. ' A strong wind yesterday carried the bush fires here'right into Rangiwahia: : Mr- R: Moore 'has'had his house burnt down on the Parapara Road, a branch of the Main South Road. Mrs. Rule had a dreadful time of.it on Tuesday higlit. ■■ -f l '-. Tho fires were blasing all round her house, but fortunately the ;wind moderated at midniglit. Many volunteers kept watch till'early morning.: •: The fires are now burning in all directions. Mr. 'Manser andrMr. Baggo aro severe sufferers;' -The damago; done in this district is liea'vy; and it-will take thousands of .pounds to repair fences, replaco stock, and purchase grass seed. -.'Tb-day- tlie fires are burning fu'riously: ' ■■'. ■!■'-"i AROUND WELLINGTON. , , / ' POSITION IN THE SUBURBS. - . , When "nightfall' coriies fires peep out here and there on the; hills' around the Wellington Harbour., ,They can bo. seen at Day's Bay, m the, direction of tho Hutt, and towards Khandallah. . _ .. At Day's Bay on Wednesday some, anxiety Iwas felt' at, the, 1 steady approach of tho flames from the. north boundary, and a large number, of men Wcnt 'out and beat them back to .sa'fe^ '.Since" then they have' kept ' thoir bourids, .'arid, at 'preserit 'cause no uneasincssl• >. , ! ''' '' g '• - .''At'Khandallah stri'ce Sunday it has been a matter pfrwjrid. ' While the wind blows, from tho south ! no'damago"can- be done, and the fire simply smoulders peacefully away." It is remarkable how the dry wea.ther has conspired to assist'the'Sre.' I 'A resident'of Khandallah'relates .that-while ho and a companion were investigating the extent of tho damago Mr: Izard's bush.they were rather curious to see how tho 'fire' had' been communicated to an isolated spot somo distance'from any possible, contact. After probing about; they found what has sometimes been noticed be..fore, that' after; eating'.right into the very 'vitals of a large stump,tho-firo had travelled along tho routs underground for a very considerable, distance.'-'.This could ' only 'occur after very dry weather.

■ ; -:At tho, Plutt ,'tlie,^ fire is'confined: to y le ridges along'tho ranges,'' and no .damage,is being done.' '' .'" '.-. ."-A grass-fire on'.the ; slopes' of Mounts Yic-. toria: ;erigaged .tho" attention..; of ■' .the Fire Brigade-at 4.30 yesterday, afternoon. Aboiit .two • acres 'of;grass"was "destroyed;before the; were'be.aten 'out." !''. ' - . ' •

So ,far ,' ; tiie. ..Wanganui district has been comparatively/free from. f bush fires, sii'd'.Mr. J. ,T. Hogan, M.P., to a reporter yesterday. jUI ; the scenic biish along the Wanganui Rive'r, ! sb ; far'has escaped.