WAIRARAPA FIRE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21947, 15 February 1946, Page 4

WAIRARAPA FIRE

SERIOUS OUTBREAK

FOUR-MILE FRONT

HOMESTEAD SAVED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. Feb. 14. A serious bush and grass fire in the Wairarapa oime within 50yds. of Mr. Thomas Taylor’s Beaumaris station Yesterday and, despite 'he efforts of more than 100 fire-lighter.', it was only a drop in the wind which saved the property, the furniture of which already had been removed from the house preparatory to its evacuation.

The fire started over a fortnight ago. but was not particularly dangerous until it entered the 4000-acre Riwa reserve of native bush, which was totally destroyed, and then under tiic influence of a strong wind, which varied from north-west to south, ran across the dried pasture of Mr. Taylor’s nroperty, necessitating the hurried removal of the stock.

A call for assistance was answered by neighbouring property owners avid the Masterton County Council's staff, but their efforts looked like being defeated ns time and again the wind carried blazing material behind them, starling new fires and necessitating a hurried retreat.

Beaumaris is an old wooden property surrounded by a large plantation, which would have been ideal fuel for the fire, and (he efforts of the fire-fighters had seemed doomed to failure until the wind dropped and the fire was got under control.

This morning the fire was four miles past Mr Taylor’s, but was approaching other homesteads, including that of Mr. Charles Taylor and Mr. G. Moore ancl the well-known Homewood property. Homewood is six miles away from the fire, which now lias a four-mile front, but the residents are taking no chances and preparations were made this morning with 100 men to burn a firebreak right out to the coast. 10 miles away. The firebreak is one mile in front of the fire, which is moving very slowly in practically no wind to-day. but if the wind shows signs of getting up it will be back-burned toward the fire. The whole Wairarapa district is very parched and ideal for a fire, and water for slock and fire-fighting is very short. Water for tea for the fire-fighters to-day must be carried more than four miles.