DAMAGE BY FIRE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 66, 10 December 1938, Page 15

DAMAGE BY FIRE

Native Bush Destroyed

APPEAL TO PICNICKERS

. An appeal to picnickers and other holiday-makers to do everything possible to prevent the destruction of native bush by fire was issued yesterday by the Commissioner of State Forests, Mr. Langstone. He said that the toll of bush fires due to carelessness was far too great every year. Extensive damage has been done to public rind private property. Since the beginning of October last no fewer than 27 fires had been recorded, and the official report as to causes showed clearly that each fire could be classified as an act of vandalism.

It was true, of course, that most of the fires were due to the kind of carelessness that was most adequately described as criminal stupidity, such as the throwing away of a live cigarette butt, the dropping of a lighted match in dry grass, and neglect to stamp out a picnicker’s camp fire. A list of the damage already wrought In different provinces this summer was grievous, including the destruction of .100 acres of young bush and GOO eucalyptus trees at Whakatane; a plantation of 3000 wattles and pinus insignls trees at Omanawa, Tauranga; the destruction of 500 acres of western yellow pines, eight years old and 14ft. high, at Mt. Edgecumbe, 'Whakatane; and the loss of many other areas of scenic bush. Much of the havoc was caused by the lighting of roadside fires and the careless burning of scrub.