BUSY PERIOD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1939, Page 6

BUSY PERIOD

FIRES AT UPPER HUTT

BRIGADE'S GOOD WORK

Twenty-four fire calls/ were, dealt| with by the Upper -Hiitt Volunteer; Fire Brigade between February 17 and! March 30, reported the superintendent, Mr. W. H. Wakelin, to last night's meeting of the Upper Hutt Borough Council. y The great majority of the fires were of the gorse, grass, and scrub variety,! but there were several in which fires! broke out in buildings. In many cases, premises were threatened by -out-j breaks, but the work of the brigade kept damage down to a minimum. The dryness of the past few weeks was in! a great measure responsible for th£: number of bush and grass fires. j The Mayor (Mr. P. Robertson) suggested that a little more caution should be used in the granting pf licences to light fires, particularly in cases where the dense smoke would be expected to cause a nuisance.

A case was cited by Councillor H. Poison in which a section was allowed to become overgrown with gorse. The occupier of the section then set fire deliberately to the gorse, though facilities with which to control:the fire were lacking. The fire brigade was ultimately called in by a nine-year-old girl, and the prompt action of the brigade resulted in several houses being saved.