COASTAL BUSH FIRES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 March 1928, Page 5

COASTAL BUSH FIRES.

RAHOTU DISTRICT MENACED. SMALL DAMAGE SUSTAINED. Bush fires that have been raging with considerable fierceness at times during the past two or three days have caused settlers in the bush country on the higher levels in various parts of the coastal district situated between New Plymouth and Rahotu considerable anxiety and uneasiness, as in many cases homesteads, sheds, plantations, haystacks, and fences were endangered, but as far as can be gathered, with the exception of a bridge completely destroyed on the Upper Parihaka Road and a considerable amount of fencing, as well as some haystacks and firewood, no serious damage was done. The wind that sprang up ori Friday morning caused burning off fires to get out of control. Fires started by settlers on the Upper Carrington Road swept down towards the Upper Harford, Korn and Kirikau Roads, giving settlers of those districts very anxious times until the wind died down in the evening, but fortunately they were able to save their buildings from destruction. The fire also menaced the Taranaki Permanent Forests, Ltd., plantations, hut the Oakura stream proved, as anticipated, a valuable fire break, and the employees, of the plantation, who were on the watch as a precaution, were able to prevent any damage. A foot bridge over the* Waitotaroa stream, on the Upper Parihaka Road, which branches off the Upper Kaihau Road about eight, miles from Rahotu, was completely destroyed. The bridge was a substantial wooden one. All that now remains is a few massive iron rods that have fallen into the bed of the stream. A stack of rimu timber to lie used for repairing the deck of the bridge escaped destruction. Some considerable length of fencing has also been destroyed. As far as is known no sheep or stock were lost, hut it is thought that a good deal of firewood would- lie. destroyed. It was not considered- that the fires would do much damage in the Parihaka block, hut that any damage would he more than compensated by the ultimate good there, as, indeed, it would do all over the district, for hush fires .have to be faced as one of the penalties by those who set out to convert hush land into open fields. — Abridged from “News.”