HILL FIRE MENACE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 122, 16 February 1935, Page 21

HILL FIRE MENACE

Property-owner’s Protest MOUNT VICTORIA BLAZE At least one property-owner, is thankful for the efforts of the Fire Brigade which, on the occasion of the recent blaze on Mount Victoria, helped to save his residence from destruction. This was Mr. W. H. Campbell, of Palliser Road, who wrote to the Wellington' Fire Board as follows: — “I should be pleased if you would kindly extend through the chairman and members of the board my warmest thanks to the officers and firemen concerned for the prompt and efficient manner in which they controlled the outbreak of fire on Mount Victoria. Unfortunately I was out of town at the time, but on my return was informed by nearby residents and could see from my own observation that a wonderful save had been made.” Potential Danger.

Mr. Campbell also wrote to the Underwriters’ Association: — “I should like to draw your attention to the grave danger through fire that threatened 67 Palliser Road when the hillside of Mount Victoria was ablaze. One side of the house, also the back, was badly scorched and blistered, and the boundary fence severely damaged. This damage could have been avoided by making a fire-break, and proof of this can be seen by the western side of the hill, where the fire has stopped in a straight line at the fire-break. Adjoining my property is a zig-zag path leading to 2TA, and this path adjoins, some hundreds of acres of ground on Mount Victoria, all of which was covered with grass and gorse to a height of at least 3 feet. Had this zig-zag been cleared, a good break could have been made, minimising the risk to my own and adjoining properties.” When asked for a report, the superintendent of the Fire. Board, Mr. C. A. Woolley, stated that he had alreadysent out between 200 to 300 notices to owners to clear the grass from their properties. The number of calls to gorse and grass-fires had been a record and no property had been seriously damaged. Mr. S. S. Dean: Do you get any certificates for that? ‘‘A Lot of Abuse;”

“No,” said Mr. Woolley, "but wc get a lot of abuse from people. These fires were always in charge of either a senior fireman or junior officer, and they were under instruction if they had any doubt about’holding the fire to communicate with headquarters. Representations had been, made to the City Council about the zig-zag, but they had been showed under with this class of work.” The board decided to write to Mr. Campbell informihg him that the question had been referred to the Wellington City Council. .