SERIOUS FIRES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 95, 16 January 1935, Page 11

SERIOUS FIRES

Large Areas of Grass Destroyed CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY By Telegraph.—Press Association. Waipukurau, January .15. Serious grass fires in the Hatiima | district were caused to-day by sparks from railway engines. Settlers were fighting the Hames all day. Mr. 11. T. Wright, a settler, had 00 acres of grass destroyed and only desperate efforts saved his house. Mr. A. C. Russell lost 100 acres of grass, while Mr. J. Williamson had a valuable orchard destroyed. Other settlers in the Hatuma district fared similarly. In the Pukehou district fierce grass fires raged throughout the day. Mr. I. O. MacPliail, a settler, lost 250 acres of grass and it is estimated that 1009 acres were burnt by fire in the Pukehou district to-day. PASTURES DESTROYED By Telegraph—Press Association Asliburtwi, January 15. I The second serious grass tire in the Ashburton County in seven days occurred at Carew yesterday when the county council plantation of 30 acres, containing thousands of young trees, was burnt. Three hundred lire fighters were engaged for five hours combating the outbreak. Some pasture was also destroyed and eight cows are missing. A fire nt Mayfield destroyed a farmer’s supply of hay, and another- at Wheatstone burned a considerable supply of hay. clover, and oat chaff. PEAT FIRES CHECKED I . | Waikato Property Damaged By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hamilton, January 15. Although the encroaching peat fires at Te Hoe are now checked, the damage to'property is assessed in excess of £3OOO. Mr. L. R. IV. Reid, chairman of the Taupiri Drainage and River Board, who had approximately 4000 acres damaged, states that his loss is in the vicinity of £2700. Other farmers are affected, but only to a small extent. Every precaution has been taken to prevent the spread of the flames which wreaked so much damage during the past three weeks, and along a mile and a half front men are carefully 4 stamping out the smouldering fire. Assessing the cost of resowing at £1 per acre, Mr. Reid will need £l5OO to bring the area again in.to grass. In addition there is the loss of fencing, £2OO. and timber for fencing, valued at £lOOO, has been destroyed. Several more dead cattle have been found.