FIRES IN WAIKATO

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 43, 18 January 1935, Page 9

FIRES IN WAIKATO

RUINATION OF FARMS. SOURCE OF ANXIETY. For Press Association. HAMILTON, Jan. 17. Widespread peat and scrub tires are raging in many parts of the Waikato after many rainless weeks. The fires have reached an alarming proportion, in the district surrounding Hamilton. Hundreds of acres of pasture have been destroyed, while other large tracts of farm land are threatened in every direction. The smoke has shrouded the countryside. Settlers have been faced with a stern fight to save their land from fire, which also menaced and endangered thenhomes. • The work of years was ruined by widespread outbreaks in the Newstead swamp. Thousands of acres have been made desolate on many properties. Land has been burned down to the subsoil, and the clay is showing in huge irregular craters. Road traffic down to the swamp area lias been almost cut oft, as the fires have eaten away at one point fully half of the narrow clay roadway. Farmers in the district arc working from daylight till dark with spade and plough digging a huge drain which it is hoped limy stop the spread of the flames. Nearly all those in the stricken area have given up hope of saving much of their land on tho Eureka side of the swamp road. A handful of men are anxiously stamping out any spread of the flames beyond the shelter belt which fringed the road. The pastures, in tiieir tinder-dry condition, need only a spark to make for an enormous conflagration that would involve miles of iertile country.