GRAVE CONCERN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 45, 20 January 1928, Page 9

GRAVE CONCERN.

WEST COAST IN NEED OF RAIN. WATER SHORTAGE AND BUSH FIRES. Per Press Association. GREYMO IiTH, Jan. 19. The West Coast is experiencing a, drought. Only an inch and a-half of rain has fallen during the five weeks past. Bush fires are general, but no serious damage has resulted. A water shortage handicaps sawmilling in some localities, while rivers generally are exceptionally low. Forest service officers have been oalled on to protect a plantation rn the vicinity of Ross Road, where the bush has been ablaze as it has along the Midland railway line and to northward. SERIOUS BUSH FIRES. PUBLIC WORKS CAMP DESTROYED. NELSON, Jan. 19. A serious bush fire at Tophouse, which started several days ago and destroyed a Public Works camp, is still raging and threatens to destroy largo areas of scenic reserve bush m the vicinity of Lake Rotoiti. A second Public Works camp on the new road towards Glenliope is also threatened. The fire aparently started in Wairau Valley near tho Red Hills and spread through the bush behind Tophouse, then breaking across towards ltoundell. All hands at the Public Works camp attempted to beat the fire out. The camp was dismantled and all apeared as safe as the circumstances would permit when the wind changed and sprang to real force, ana before anything could be done the whole camp was destroyed. The fire then threatened Mr Blechynden’s property, but was got under control in that neighbourhood. For a few days the fire swept backwards and forwards according to the direction of the wind. Latterly, the progress lias been greater and Lake Rotoiti bush is threatened. Mr May, resident engineer of the Public Works Department, who visited the scene of the fire, reports that at one stage he saw th fire take a half-mile leap by means of burning material being blown -about by the wind. Many other tiros are raging in the district and tn© indications are that this year will bo a bad one for native bush. It is nearly a month since rain fell, and that was confined to one night.