WAR ON BUSH FIRES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1927, Page 9

WAR ON BUSH FIRES

VICTORIAN PROPOSALS

SAFEGUARDING FOREST AREAS

(From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, 21st January.

Methods by which it is hoped to safeguard the Victorian forest areas and to prevent a recurrence of the fires which last February devastated large areas of Victoria and caused the loss of 33 lives have been announced by the Victorian Forestry Commission. Now Zealand should be particularly interested in .these proposed measures, for wherever forestry is a live subject the maintenance of adequate safeguards against the fire field and' the methods of different countries shouTd be of great importance^

The Victorian Commission has made arrangements for motor parols to be established to cover all part 3of the State. The patrols will comprise experienced Forest Commission officers and police, and will have full power to prosecute. This week a representative of the subcommittee of the various Government departments vitally concerned in the prevention of bush fires went to Eastern Gippslarid, where the "tall timber" is, and began - establishing bush fire brigades under proper authority in various centres of population. Later the whole State will be visited and brigades established.

The motor patrols will cover all roads and public highways, and go. along' tracks which are practically inaccessible to the ordinary motorist. The Forest Commission's officers will be fully acquainted with the fire provisions in the Police Offences Act, and anyone, either on public or private property, illegally lighting or starting fires will be prosecuted. AH officers have been instructed that the * national. welfare must bo considered first and foremost. Settlers and others will be met en route and public meetings will be held, where the methods of fighting bush fires will be explained, and the policy of tho Government on the assistance which will be given to people in the back country will be outlined. As far as possible the' Government will help in-the provision of equipment for the bush fires brigades.; "The idea," explained one of the Forestry Commissioners, "is to get the people to help themselves, and the Government will help them. The Commission is determined to prevent even the smallest fire, and hopes to have everything ready by February, the most dangerous of all months for bush fires in Victoria."

It as considered that the personal touch of the Department'a representatives with the residents vitally interested m the prevention of bush fires will bo productive of great results. Strange to say, some opposition to the formation of bush fire brigades has been found in some quarters in Eastern Gippsland, but it is believed that this opposition will be overcome by a .better idea of national welfare. It is hoped, that the efforts of those people in the eastern portion of the State who are in sympathy with a great national movement will prevail.-

The system of patrols, improved telephone communication, and look-out towers have recently been responsible for officers of the Forestry Commission checking early sevoral bush fires, and aa a result has saved considerable loss. Recently an outbreak caused by a motorist, who could not bo identified by the forestry officers, owing to distahee was easily extinguished by the patrols nofore it had spread to any extent. This certainly prevented the destruction by the fire of a valuable plantation of young pines.