AMERICAN BUSH FIRES

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 May 1930, Page 5

AMERICAN BUSH FIRES

ENORMOUS DESTRUCTION

LARGE AREA AFFECTED

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

NEW YORK, May 5.

Widespread portions of the Eastern United States are threatened by timber fires, in which, although no persons have been reported to have been killed, the damage to property is great. . __ A message from Nashua, in New Hampshire, states that over 500 people have lost their homes m one fire, which destroyed the south- < eastern section of the city on Sunday. The loss there is estimated at two million dollars. . . • , Farms, homes, crops and timber have been destroyed. Many persons have fled from their homes to safety, while thousands* of men and boys are fighting the flames. Long Island, entral New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. and Massachusetts are the districts affected.

The greatest damage has been done at Nashua, where one great timber fire swept through the city, and destroyed 200 residences, also three large industrial plants, and , f three churches, with damage exceeding five million dollars. It left 2000 homeless. The fire then crossed a river, swept on by high winds, into the timberland on the other side of the city. Three women were later reported to have been killed at Nashua, where the police stated the constabulary are guarding against looting. The Red Cross is aiding the homeless. One whole section of the city is a mass of smouldering ruins.

HOLIDAY RESORT OUTBREAKS.

NEW YORK, May 6.

The New York City fire apparatus has been busy all day with an epidemic of suburban fires, doing millions of dollars damage. Fires are still burning in’several sections, where the communications are disrupted. More damage is feared, for as soon as the apparatus is able to reach the scene of.one blaze, another area requests immediate help. / Staten Island, New York, is the scene of numerous fires. Seventy-five bungalows have been destroyed in one section. In another section of Staten Island 700 structures were all on fire at once. Eight New York City fire companies were rushed there by ferry while fireboats aided from the waterside. Residents newly arrived for the summer saw all their property ruined. Especially bad fires are now reported in Lakewood, New Jersey, and Amityville, Long Island.