HUGE BUSH FIRE

Grey River Argus, 1 December 1937, Page 5

HUGE BUSH FIRE

ON FIVE-MILE FRONT

Near National Park

[Per Press Association.! WANGANUI, November 30. Fanned by a stiff south breeze, a fierce fire raged this afternoon N ® ■ bush on the left-hand sic e° J- hc N * ' tional Park, to the Tokaanu Road, ■ about seven miles past, the turn off-fo the Chateau Tonganro. The lire : spread with great rapidity among the worked bush, and eventually to green timber in the bush being worked bj • the Egmont Box Company, Weir and Kenny’s mill, and Carter s mill, blazing over a five-mile front. The heat of the fire was so intense that the men working in the bush were forced to come out before two o’clock in the afternoon. , The wind dropped later in the day to a light southerly, and the lire was headed in the direction of Taumarunui, but it was more subdued. Up to this evening, the mills them-

selves. and the mill houses, had not been touched by the fire, and they will not be endangered unless the wind changes to the north. The Assistant-Manager at the Chateau (Mr Ewing) went out to investigate the extent of the fire, and found it had not touched the National Park area. It appears there is no likelihood of the National Park being endangered, unless a northerly wind springs up and drives the fire acioss the road into the Park.