BUSH FIRES

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 147, 16 March 1908, Page 9

BUSH FIRES

: ' FLAX-MILL DESTHOYri) • (nr .' TELEGRAPE—'SPECIAI , COKBESrONnENT.) ; Masterton, March 13. • . Messrs. Thompson, arid-,Roff's flax-mill at' Opaki was' totally destroyed by fire .to-day. Elovon tons.of .fibre was destroyed...Thero insurance', on. the mill. or.fibre, and Messrs. Thoriipson' and ■ Rolf are heavy, losors.}.;•;■,} ;■ •"■-, .. OUTBREAK IN THE WAIRARAPA.. '; Theidry weather an the. Wairarapa .(\mtes our 'correspondent): has' ;caused; another :;out;break.of biishiand grass fires in several portions of the district, : and niwy farmers /are Reeling -the. position of. things .most keenly. On Friday' a bush fire■ commenced on Mr.. Jf. M'Kerizie-s property 1 ' near Weraiti, arid, f.av.oiircd by the ..wind, .ran 'oyer' ..to .several adjoining,sections.-- Station j hands' from, the farms :oi the Messrs. .Beltham/ W. : p.: Bu-' chanan, J. s Strang,y Buchanan. Bros.,!' and Robieson fought'.tha flames, all'night. There' was practically. no- water, and'the .men. were consequently, armed- with spades, with which; they.: dug, : up, the .earth and smothered the fire. :,.The work .was most laborious.- but by , Saturday, afternoon; the' cbrifla'gration , ; had ;been confined to'.a special area. I)uring tho jprogress . of thq operations a mounted . messenger'was' thrown from his. horse and sus-. tained a dislocated collar-bone. • } . 1

Fires have, also,sprung up; again at,Kopuarangai Dalefield, and the bush districts, and, !inany' settlers: are 'refraining, from -.sowing; their .grass, seed until there is. less danger of conflagration. ' .. .' ' .' : In' ; the 'Alfredton 1 district yesterday the breeze puti.into activo operation a fire which had''bbbn smouldering'fbr the past six, weeks, and. on Saturday tho conflagration was running over ' GOOO . acres '' of - property, burning up grass and rubbish. 'The properties ravaged are those' of' Messrs. 1 Clapliani,' Heokeer, Cross, Kebbell, Daggj, - Rutherford; • and Harris;',; Numbers of stock are, believed ■ to. havo been burnt. ~ . . ' V ' } AT CARTERTON. 1 , } : .(FROM ' OTJR SFKCIA.L - CORRKSPONDENT.'i '' 'Once again, grass*.fires' threatened, destruction', to* homesarid .' houses of .residents of Carterton,'and onco- again ■ tho : discipune arid pluck; .of tho; Fire Brigade .triumphed,. -At; 12.30, on • Friday',a' fririous >grass fire; threat-.onedi't-ho residences ".of -Butler,'. .'Pep-' ,-per, Ramsay, and, Clifton. Avenue. Tlie whole of 'tho ho.so at, tho disposal 6f tho brigadoi.was in-usei. and overy man exertwLto-the'.utriiost,: and; .vjnth.'the assistance' of "'nuriiefbiis 'citizoi'.s', the' danger was averted, though at,ollo tilrie it looked as ,if nothing short, of a miraclo .would avail. Though the volume}'of, smoke .was tremendous,: the" .loss .was!-trifling,"" a . small - shed, -some'ehairis'. of. fencing,('and.'a heaj) .of;.firewood -ropresbntirig';.tho}total'-'loss. -It, looked as. if -' all -.the 1 'able-bodied' •'men. in ' tho tewri, from the.ilayor to the: police,, were working,■ ahd' ratepayers-got'jari. object-lossoli for'-'tho • diro necessity of. equipping the brigado with more hose. ■ • '• . -