THE FIRE MENACE

Evening Star, Issue 25716, 13 February 1946, Page 7

THE FIRE MENACE

STILL LATENT IN TAUPO AREA (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 12. A telephone report received,, by the Press Association from Taumarunui at noon to-day was that there were considerable fires towards the western side of Taupo, but no reports of any major damage in the Tokaanu district. The fires'there were all in worked-out bush areas where the threat was mainly to stacks of fencing posts which had been cut after the milling timber was worked out. Some of these posts had been destroyed, but the majority were saved. Mill hands had been working long hours on their removal, and bulldozers were used to assist in clearing tracks for carting them out of the area. It was considered that the last of the posts would be removed by early this afternoon. There was no threat to the Tokaanu timber-mill, or to standing timber, but it was thought that trouble might develop if the wind shifted and increased in force. Fresh fires to the north of Taupo had been reported, but no information regarding these was available at Taumarunui. PHILOMEL RATINGS ASSIST.. (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 12. Coming a few days after steps had been taken to provide fire breaks ou the hillside, a large fire swept the grass slopes of Mount Victoria this morning and afternoon. A party of about .100 ratings from the Philomel naval base, with an auxiliary pump and grass fighting equipment, assisted the Devonport Fire Brigade in controlling the outbreak. A party of Wrens who had been sent to the fire assisted in controlling the outbreak, and made tea for the men. No damage to property was caused. THE GORSE MENACE. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 12. Oil tanks and a number of houses were threatened by a gorse fire in the Ngaio Gorge, Wellington, to-day. Large-scale fire-fighting operations were carried out bv the Wellington Fire Brigade, which was assisted by residents of the district, including women. Between 10.30 o'clock and 11 o'clock a number of alarms were given. Six machines were rushed to the spot during half an hour. Though the outbreak was under control at mid-day it was not till 3 o'clock this afternoon that the firemen left the scene. The flames spread up the hillside and menaced four houses, one of which was evacuated. A shed in another section was destroyed, with all its contents. The main spread of the blaze occurred during the morning, when a great deal of time was lost while the fire fighters groped their way through the smoke blown up hill. Of the 135 fires that occurred in Wellington last month, 120 of them were among gorse. said an officer of the'fire brigade. He cited figures as an indication of the menace that existed when gorse was allowed to grow unchecked.