FINE WORK

Grey River Argus, 14 February 1946, Page 4

FINE WORK

EY FIRE FIGHTERS In Lake Taupo Area P.A. WELLINGTON, February 13. Though the seriousness of the fires throughout the Taupo district shou.d not be underrated, nevertheless an infinitely worse loss would have been undoubtedly sustained had it not been for the strenuous efforts ot the., fire fighters, said the Commissioner of State Forests (Hon. C. F. Skmner), on his return to Wellington from Taupo late to-day. The Commissioner, who had made tin aerial inspection of the areas, emphasised that the weather was still far from reassuring, and probable further reliefs of fire fighters would need to be organised before the present emergency concluded. “In spite of the fact that fires have swept over several hundreds of thousands of acres of scrub and fern land, the losses of buildings and equipment has been extremely small, and up till to-day only three buildings appear' to have been destroyed by fire,” said the Commissioner. “The most critical fires in the Taupo district are still being fought.” One was eight miles south of Atiamuri, the other east of Taupo township in a corner between the Kaingaroa State forest and the exotic forest belonging to Afforestation F'ty. Ltd. Though not a single acre of State exotic forest had been swept by fire, the Forest Service fire fighters were exerting superhuman efforts to bring the latter fire under control. The Minister praised the work of Army and Navy personnel from Waiouru in preventing- larger losses in the exotic forest east of Taupo. Though virtually all the Urewera forest country, about two thousand square miles, was under smoke, an aerial inspection revealed that fires were limited to a few hundred acres in Te Whaiti and adjoining districts. Additional aircraft had been made available for observation and ground air liaison.

UNDER CONTROL IN TAUMARUNUI AREA P.A. WELLINGTON, Feb. 13 The bush fire situation in the Taumarunui area is under control. A fire on the Taumarunui-Tokaanu scenic road last night caused misgivings as to the fate of the beautiful bush, and the -Manunui Fire Brigade was called to the scene, but this morning the danger was considered to have passed. Men were called out at two o’clock this morning and quelled a new outbreak • near Weir and Collier’s mill, Tokaanu. There was no danger there to-day. Three whares were destroyed by fire at Bishara's logging mill in Taringamotu Valley, but the fire has been quelled. The situation in Taumarunui district would now become menacing should a strong wind spring up.