MENACE OF GORSE

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 252, 21 July 1934, Page 21

MENACE OF GORSE

Strong Action is Urged FIRE CHIEF’S COMMENTS The growing menace of gorse in and about Wellington as a potential fire peril was pointed out by the superintendent of the Wellington Fire Brigade, Mr. C. A. Woolley, in a report to the Wellington Fire Board yesterday.. He urged that action be taken to require property owners to clear the gorse, thus preventing trouble in the future. “In an endeavour to alleviate the almost continual response to gorse fires,” the report read, “the brigade inspection department carired out a further drive in the city during the dry season. The combined efforts of the City Council and brigade inspectors were responsible for no fewer than 250 sections being cleared for the quarter ended February 1, 1934. During this period 138 gorse fires were attended. To deal with these 169 appliances and 773 men were necessary, utilising 603 man hours:” After giving details of individual calls, the superintendent continued: “From the extraordinary figures noted it will be appreciated that a serious menace exists. During the period under review the average number of officers and men of the permanent staff available daily between the . hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. was 32. It will be appreciated that but for the availability of auxiliary firemen during the day (available owing to their being out of employment) an extremely serious position would have • obtained on the dates outlined in the summary. Danger of Large Fire. As the services of auxiliary firemen are voluntary during the day, it will be also appreciated that with the advent of belter times those men will be absorbed into other employment I leave the members of the board to imagine what would eventuate if a large city fire occured. during those critical hours.” “Following the Inspections previously referred to it is customary for the City Council to issue notices to clear and remove the undergrowth of gorse. It has been the experience of the brigade officers that following such notices the sections become unaccountably involved in fire,” the. superintendent continued. “It has been difficult to obtain direct evidence of/mallcious firing, but there appears to be ample justification for the officers’ assumptions. In spite •of representations to the Railway Department, a number of fires occurred on railway property, and on occasions spread to other closely adjacent property In Kaiwarra, Wadestown, Ngaio, and Khandallah districts. “There appears to me to be one way only to combat the’ prevalence of gorse fires, and that is to charge owners of sections for brigade attendance at gorse fires where a notice to cut and remove has been issued by the City Council, or alternatively to Impose a substantial fine. For this purpose an amendment to the city by-laws would be necessary, and I would request that the board take the matter up strongly with the City Council in order to attain this end.” Large Expense. Mr. W. H. Bennett, a member of the City Council, commented on the expense the brigade was put to in turning out to gorse fires. If the railways were responsible for setting fire to the gorse with sparks from engines, something should be done in that direction. Mr. M. F. Lpckie pointed out that the City Council .already had a by-law dealing with the matter. In event of the failure of property owners to clear their land of . gorse, the council could do it at the expense of the owners. Mr. Luckle confessed that he did not like the reference in the report to the inference that It was not unusual for fires to break out on those sections ordered to be cleared by the City Council. It was the business of the board to take the matter up and press it home. The board decided communicate with the City Council on the points raised in the superintendent’s report.