BUSH FIRES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 22 March 1928, Page 5

BUSH FIRES.

TN PARIHAKA DISTRICT. MANY SECTIONS SWEPT. . Fires this week have swept a considerable area of the Parihaka district, portion of the soldier settlement being affected. The outbreak in this area was confined to u strip running north-west from the .south-east corner of the soldier settlement area, commencing about two miles above the pa on the Parihaka Road. The fires travelled to the block from native and private land's farther south-east. A considerable area of bush had been fe’ledi in accent years on different soldier sections, and the fires swept over a .strip varying from half a mile to- one mile in, width. Some of these lands were badly infested with St. John’s wort and blackberry, and a good fire through them was likely to assist in combatting the weeds. Certain areas visited were swept in a very clean manner, and were in excellent state for resowing following rainfall." The bulk of the .sohlier settlers on the block were not affected at all by the fires, although they were suffering by reduced milk yield, owing to the prolonged dry spell and consequent shortage of feed.

IN THE OAKURA DISTRICT 1

FIRES STILL RAGING. In the valleys of the Kiri Oak lira and Kiribati rivers, near the Kaitoke ranges, fires were tstill raging yesterday. Whilst the efforts of the firefighters were concentrated on this outbreak, in order to save the plantations across the river, another fire came down fiorn the neighbourhood of the Koru timber mil is, and at the junction cf the Kiri with the Oakura River leaped across into the top and implanted sections of the Forestry Company and into a gully running up the National Pa,i-k reserve, attacking the undergiowthi and the big. ratas and rim us that had been affected by fire many years ago. During the afternoon another outbreak occurred on the northern side of the Oakifa Rivdr. just below Koru, and at 6 o’clock the flames were devouring all the gorse and bush in tlieir Doth. Further up, near the Koru mill, the i«taff were employed in taking precautionary measures, the fire having got into some standing busih near the men’s quarters- Fortunately nothing untoward happened, and the mill and cottages were consideied! to be out of danger. T e fire, which broke out on Tuesday evening in the valley of the Maunga:uku above the Ratapihiipihi reserve, burned itself out during the night, and yesterday the reserve was declared to he safe, unless a strong wind aroso within 24 hours.